Oedipus: Blindness From Truth

Oedipus tried so hard to not realize the terrible crimes that he committed, but, in the end, they were so blatantly put in front of him, he could do nothing but "see". Oedipus makes himself blind because he cannot accept the truth. This shows how Oedipus again blinds himself from the truth even at the cost of his own actual sight. This realization puts him over the edge of anguish and he decides he can no longer look upon the abominable world that he created for himself, remarking "Why should I see whose vision showed me nothing sweet to see?"(1454-1455) Oedipus is saying that he no longer wants to see because his sight will only bring him pain and agony. the one survivor of Laius' murder, Oedipus says to Jocasta, " If I find his story the same as yours, I at least will be clear of this guilt. He finds out that Merope and Polybus were not his parents and that he was given to them by a messenger, who received him from a shepherd. Though I am proved a slave thrice slave, and though my mother is thrice slave, you'll not be shown of lowly lineage. He is blinding himself from the obvious truth of what he has done by holding on to this glimmer of hope.

Oedipus blinds himself from the fact that Jocasta is his mother. When Oedipus sees that Jocasta is becoming upset at the facts that he is learning, he again makes up a story for himself by saying "Keep up your hear Jocasta. " Jocasta has told him that "robbers" had killed Laius and Oedipus is one man. Even when the facts presented to him create a clear cut picture for him, he still hides his eyes from the truth. Oedipus is causing his own blindness in order to save himself. "(1161-1164) Oedipus knows why Jocasta is upset but he cannot accept the fact that he is sleeping with his mother and so he blinds himself from it by putting a story of his mother being a slave ‘over his eyes.