A blind man cannot see, but does that mean he does not have insight? A sightful man can see his path, but does that mean he can forsee his future? In the tragic ironic play of Oedipus Rex, the usage of sight and blindness is carried throughoyt the characters to convey a sense of truth and knowledge. Sophocles develops an inverse relationship between physical blindness and inner viosion through the characters of Tiresias and Oedipus, and to a lesser extent, Jocasta.
Tiresias, the blind seer, most clearly illustrates the paradoxical relationship between blindness and sight in the play. As a blind prophet, Tiresias is asked by Oedipus, the king of Thebes, to announce the murderer of former King Laius; the murder dwells in the city of Thebes, and it is he who is causing the dreadful plague. Tiresias refuses to denounce the murder because seeing the truth only brings one pain. He knows that once Oedipus knows the truth about his childhood and background, he will be shattered. But King Oedipus insists. Therefore, the profet said Oedipus was the murderer. Oedipus became astonished about what the prophet said, so he accused him of treason. Tiresias remains insistent with his prophecies, although he is accused oflying. But what would make Oedipus second guess his strong belief? Tiresias inputs that Oedipus doesn't even know who his birth parets are. Oedipus, shocked and embarassed, asks the prophet for more information about his life. Oedipus results in acknowledging that he, himself was the murderer of his birth father, Laius, and he himself is also the cause of the plague in Thebes.
Furthermore, Oedipus also shows an inverse relationship between blindness and sight. Oedipus's dangerous pride and willful blindess justifies his downfall. When first acknowledged about the plague, Oedipus believed that he could handle it with his own hands. He thinks that he can rid the plague out of Thebes by finding the mole.
