Tiresias - Dramatic Irony of Blindness
TIRESIAS - THE DRAMATIC IRONY OF BLINDNESSThroughout history there have been some astonishing Greek plays. Some plays were more comedic in nature, so were romance plays and then there were some that were tragic plays. One of the greatest Greek tragedy plays ever written was Oedipus the King.Brilliantly conceived and written, Oedipus the King dramatizes the self-discovery and tragic downfall of Oedipus, the King of Thebes. It tells the story about a young Greek who was fated to murder his father, marry his mother, and in the process become the King of Thebes, before ultimately meeting his downfall due to his own deeds. That makes this play so fascinating is that there are numerous underlying themes within the story, and I will attempt to shed light on one of these themes, that being the dramatic irony of blindness. I shall do this by focusing on the words and actions of a minor character in the play, Tiresias.A minor character is a character that is developed in such a way to help reveal themes and depict certain literary devices. Literary devices are used in mostly all literary works, as they can help reveal pertinent information and also move the story along. In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the min
The proceeding passage illustrates the theme of blindness as revealed by Tiresias to Oedipus. In the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, the minor character of Tiresias is responsible for foreshadowing Oedipus' fate, developing the theme of blindness, and also illustrating dramatic irony. Some of these people think that the only way to conquer this blindness is to seek out the truths of their past in order to lead a more fulfilled life. It is quite ironic that Tiresias, who revealed to Oedipus the truth of his past is blind physically and now that Oedipus has learned the truth, now blinds himself physically because he cannot endure the pain and suffering that his quest for the truth has brought upon him. or character of Tiresias is responsible for foreshadowing Oedipus' fate, developing the theme of blindness, and also illustrating dramatic irony. Tiresias clearly utilizes foreshadowing to illustrate the downfalls that will occur in Oedipus' fated life. It is ironic that a man who is blind physically can see the suffering and madness that will come to Oedipus in the future due to his ongoing drive for knowledge. Oedipus has just learned the truth of his past from a man who cannot see which becomes very ironic to the reader. Tiresias clearly displays the use of dramatic irony within the play. This passage foreshadows the destruction and misery that will soon be a part of Oedipus' life. Tiresias is a blind man who can actually see the fated outcome of Oedipus' life. It is ironic that a man who once did not see the truth of his past and fate does not want to see physically because of his great suffering. The extent of Oedipus' intellectual blindness is assisted by his ongoing quest for the truths of his life which ends up ruining him. Do you even know who your parents are? Without knowing it, you are the enemy of your own flesh and blood, the dead below and the living above here.
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