![]() Never at my hands will the traitor be honored above the patriot.” (Sophocles, 160) His stubborn pride in this scene blinds him to the desperate love Antigone feels for her brother as he is unable to put himself in her position, and simply sees her actions as defiance. Creon then refuses to hear out the desperate Antigone, who simply acts out of love for her dead brother. This action portrays Creon’s overconfidence in himself as a powerful figure above the Gods. Creon wrongfully denies Polyneices his god given right to a proper burial. At first, Creon is portrayed as a rational leader, but his pride quickly interferes with his decisions. Likewise, to Oedipus Rex, the blind prophet Teiresias represents the truth, with the ability to see everything whether it be from the past, present or future. In Antigone, Creon represents a tragic hero who is emotionally blind to the effects his hubris mentality has on his actions, and how it will eventually lead to a tragic downfall for him and his loved ones. A fine sighted character is blind to the truth that surrounds him, due to his tragic flaw which serves as an impediment to his understanding of the truth. Oedipus had become physically what he had been emotionally all along, whereas Tiresias had been physically blind but knew exactly what was going to happen the entire time.Īs for the story of Antigone, the metaphorical idea of blindness holds a similar concept as it does in Oedipus Rex. He was finally able to see the truth that he could never before, although I guess you could say he was a little too late. He realizes that the prophecies are true, and that it’s impossible to trick the Gods and avoid your fate. He finally comes to term with his actions the murder of his father and the marriage of his mother. Although he ends up voluntarily gouging out his eyes and blinding himself, for the first time Oedipus gained insight. With the realization of his fate, his confidence shatters, and Oedipus is unable to cope with the truth after being blind to it for so long. (Sophocles, 4) Sophocles ties in these lines to express the irony Oedipus’ arrogance has on his blindness to the truth, and to express how it all came back to bite him in the ass. Here I am myself- you all know me the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus”. “I thought it wrong, my children, to hear the truth from others, messengers. His realization of the truth through the messenger ironically reverts back to the opening scene where Oedipus arrogantly addresses the people of Thebes. It is not until a Corinthian messenger reveals his biological parents, that Oedipus finally understands the terrible truth of his actions. Even with the awareness of this information, Oedipus is still blind to the entire truth. Jocasta, the wife and mother of Oedipus, reveals that King Laius was killed at a place where three roads meet, the exact location where Oedipus had killed a man. It’s not until it’s already too late that Oedipus finally begins to open his eyes to reality. Teiresias tells him, “You mock my blindness, do you? But I say that you, with both your eyes, are blind: You cannot see the wretchedness of your life.” (Sophocles, 20) Though physically blind, Teiresias is able to clearly see the truth of Oedipus’ situation, and is aware of exactly what’s to come. The more Oedipus learned about his past, the more he became blind to it. Teiresias tells him “Of the children, inmates of his home, He shall be proved the brother and the sire, of her who bare him son and husband both, Co-partner, and assassin of his sire.” (Sophocles, 18) Oedipus is unable to see what’s going on, even whilst hearing his fate for a second time. (Sophocles, 23) Clearly, Oedipus only thinks about himself and can’t see the big picture here as he only gets angry with Teiresias instead of listening. Teiresias warns him, “This day will bring your birth and your destruction”. His arrogance prevents him from acknowledging any of Teiresias’ hints and blinds him from correlating his past prophecy with the information about his future that Teiresias is able to see. Oedipus is told by the blind prophet, Teiresias, that he murdered King Laius and caused the plague of Thebes, yet Oedipus doesn’t give his own involvement any consideration and instead blames Creon.
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