Oedipus Rex

            In The Play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles as found in Literature and Righting : The Human Experience ; Edited by Richard Abcacian, Marvin Klotz with Peter Richardson, St. Martins Press Inc. NY. 1998, one of the themes is blindness. Not just fisical but emotional and even intelectual in some ways. The issue of blindness in the story could be interpreted in different ways, depending on the situations that present themselfs during the development of the plot. For example, in certain situations it can be portrayed as Oedipus's ability to see and in others as his willingness to do so.
             On the other hand Teresias, who is for a fact a. blind man, chose to keep his will to see, as he is clarivoyant. This just reaffirms Oedipus as a man ignorant to the true appearance of things - this blind man can "see" the truth about Oedipus, yet Oedipus, in all of his physical perfection, cannot.
             As the story evolves it is apparent that Oedipus learns the nature of things but does not accept his fate. Because of inacceptance he tries an escape route by blinding himself with the desperation and anger due to all of the years he lived in that condition without wanting to know. .
             During more than half of the play Oedipus mocks Teresias, but also he accuses him of conspireing with Creon, to overthrow him of his kingdom. While doing this he choses not to see,blinding him to the corruption of his life. .
             It is true that life comes full of surprises that one cannot control, maybe those surprises have to deal with fate. Then again fate is an uncertainty, for it to exist one only needs to chose for ones self and believ. But even if life is already planed one must try their hardest to handle whatever comes their way. For Teresias physical blindness could have been fate but he chose to see from within the heart before taking anyother,perhaps dangerous path.