"Assignment #10--Oedipus"

Oedipus the King as we all know has several themes in the story. The story itself has themes of truth, blindness, ignorance, and darkness. The story I believe is filled with many ironies concerning Oedipus and these themes. The main character of the story known as Oedipus despite being very intelligent is blind to the truth of his current situation. He is blinded by his own pride in his abilities and looked down on others. Oedipus could see but was unknowingly trapped in the darkness of ignorance. The blind prophet Teiresias could not see anything with his eyes but he could still see the truth that Oedipus could not. It’s ironic that even though Teiresias can not physically see anything, he can see more than anyone else. Rage was an emotion that Oedipus was quick to fall to and it was one of the reasons he is in this mess in the first place. He would not see the truth that he had slept with his mother and killed his father until he saw undeniable proof. He was ignorant to the fact of who were his real parents and in a fit of blind rage murdered his father. He foolishly believed he could outsmart the gods and avoid the cursed fate they had planned for him. Oedipus believed that he was living in the light of truth when he was really living in the darkness of ignorance. When he finds out that he really did sleep with his mother, he was so horrified by the revelation that he gouged out his own eyes.