Term Papers on Sight And Blindness: A Metaphor For Humanitys Place In The Universe

Term Paper Title	Sight And Blindness: A Metaphor For Humanitys Place In The Universe
# of Words	583
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	2.33

Sight and Blindness: a Metaphor for Humanity's Place in the Universe

     In Oedipus the King, sight and blindness were used as a metaphor for humanity's place in the universe.  The gods and unchangeable fate remained hidden from humans; therefore, they were blind to the truth of existence.  It is ironic that the only insight Oedipus had into the gods' will was through a blind man.  Teiresias was a blind prophet who could "see" the truth about Oedipus' situation.  The prophet was physically blind, and Oedipus was blind to his scandalous past.  To explain this to Oedipus, Teiresias said, "You don't see how much alike we are"  (749).  Although he was blind to the outside world, Teiresias could foresee the despair the truth would cause Thebes.  He warned Oedipus not to ask for the truth.  He said, "Wisdom is a curse when wisdom does nothing for the man who has it"  (748).
At the conclusion of the play, Oedipus gouges out his eyes to escape the sight of his sins.  He felt he could no longer "look men in the eyes"
(780).  Oedipus called on the gods to shield him from the fate Apollo's oracle had decreed.  He said, "Holiness, pure radiant powers, o gods don't let me see that day…take me away from men, men with their eyes"  (763).  Again he wished to avoid seeing the real truth, the fate the gods had chosen for him.  Because of his pride, Oedipus wanted to hide his sin from humanity.  Oedipus mocked Teiresias' skill of prophecy.  The king asked the prophet to give proof that his visions were ever true.  Oedipus boasted that it was his own heroics that saved Thebes from the Sphinx.  In doing this he lessened the importance of spiritual truth...

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