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Classics 101 Emma Laubscher

Greek Tragedy May 27 2013

Thursday, 9:35 Mega

Comment on Sophocles use of the sight/blindness and light/darkness motifs inthe first episode of Oedipus the King.

! ce"ral m#"i$ "ha" e%is" &i"hi Oedipus Rexis "he re'ea"ed re$erece "# sigh" ad blidess(

Thr#ugh "he c#"ras" #$ "hese #''#sig '#si"i#s, )#'h#cles e%'resses *ari#us didac"ic #'ii#s

+)eale, 192-( .i"hi )#'h#cles/ 'lays, clear *isi# ad ligh" is #$"e used as a me"a'h#r $#r isigh"

#r k#&ledge +ald#ck, 199-( .i"hi Oedipus Rex"his c#*e"i# is sub*er"ed ad e%'l#red "#

grea" e$$ec"( This essay &ill e%amie "he use #$ sigh" ad blidess as &ell as "he c#"ras" be"&eeligh" ad darkess &i"hi Oedipus Rexi "erms #$ i"s e$$ec"s &i"hi "he 'lay(

e #$ "hema"ic c#cers e%'ressed &i"hi Oedipus Rexby "he c#"ras" be"&ee blidess ad

sigh" is "he limi"a"i# #$ huma *isi#( edi'us, as he is $irs" i"r#duced "# "he audiece, is a $igure

re#&ed $#r his i"elligece ad clear sigh"edess( e gaied his '#si"i# as ig #$ Thebes by

s#l*ig "he riddle #$ "he s'hi% 4 his kigshi' is *isual 'r##$ #$ his i"ellec"ual isigh" +)eale, 192-(

e his c#$ide" i his i"elligece ad abili"y "# discer "he "ru"h( urig his c#$r#"a"i# &i"h

Teiresias, &he Teiresias #bscures "he "ru"h &i"h riddles, edi'us re'lies "ha" he 6"au"s8 he &here

he8 &ill $id me grea" +)#'h#cles, 1-( edi'us is assured i his abili"y "# s#l*e riddles ad

uc#*er "he "ru"h( #&e*er, "he audiece k#&s "ha" he is c#m'le"ely blid "# his #& reali"y ad

$a"e 4 his huma *isi# has $ailed "# discer "he "ru"h #$ his #& si"ua"i# +)eale, 192-(

The limi"a"i#s #$ huma sigh" is als# re*ealed "hr#ugh "he &ay i &hich edi'us 'laces em'hasis

# *isual e*idece, belie*ig i" "# be a "rus"r"hy idica"#r #$ "he "ru"h +)eale, 192-( ; his search

$#r a s#lu"i# "# Thebes/ 'r#blems he s"a"es ca"eg#rically 6; l##k a" e*ery s"#ry +)#'h#cles, 293-(

e 'laces a large em'hasis # "he *isual "es"im#y 'r#*ided by "he messeger &h# &i"essed

Laius/s murder, "he messeger/s "es"im#y im'lica"ed may r#bbers ad "hus led edi'us al#g "he

&r#g 'a"h i his search(

e als# disregards Teiresias/s &arigs claimig "ha" he 6has #ly eyes $#r his #& gais, bu"

blidess i his skill +)#'h#cles, 29-( edi'us, i his r#le as "he i"er're"er #$ *isual images, is

sl#&ly 'iecig "#ge"her "he $ac"s #$ "he si"ua"i#( #&e*er, his huma *isi# $ails him ad his

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realisa"i# is limi"ed 4 is"ead #$ acce'"ig Teiresias/s &arig, he bases his

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La"er i "he 'lay, edi'us/s '#si"i# is re*ersed( The edi'us "ha" is de'ic"ed a" "he ed #$ "he 'lay

s"ads i s"ark c#"ras" "# "he edi'us "ha" e%is"s a" "he 'lay/s #'eig +)eale, 192-( The grie$

s"ricke, ruied ad blid ma has # c#"r#l #*er his #& $a"e bu" has a "errible isigh" ad

k#&ledge #$ his circums"aces +)eale, 192- ue "# his 'hysical blidess, he mus" a''eal "#

Cre# "# kill #r e%ile him( e has $ially c#me "# "he uders"adig "ha" he is uable "# c#"r#l his

$a"e( e has als# achie*ed i"ellec"ual isigh" 4 he discers !'#ll#/s had i his ud#ig bu" is als#

a&are #$ his #& r#le, s"a"ig "ha" 6"he had "ha" s"ruck me &as #e bu" my #& +)#'h#cles 1331

4 1332-( e als# dis'lays a ir#ic abili"y "# de"ermie "he $u"ure 4 'redic"ig his daugh"er/s

&re"ched $a"es(

=ela"ed "# "he "heme #$ sigh" ad blidess, is "he issue #$ $#resigh" ad seers +)eale, 192+(

)#'h#cles '#si"i#s #racles as media"#rs be"&ee "he g#ds ad 'e#'le +ald#ck, 199-( Thr#ugh"he e*e"s "ha" u$#ld &i"hi Oedipus Rex, !'#ll# achie*es *idica"i# #$ his 'r#'hecies(

!'#ll#, beig "he g#d #$ ligh", reas# ad 'r#'hecy, is ce"ral "# "he s"#ry #$ edi'us( @r#m "he

*ery begiig, "he audiece is a&are "ha" i" is !'#ll#/s #racle, Teiresias, &h# has "he m#s" accura"e

isigh" i"# "he si"ua"i# ad &h#se &arigs edi'us uld ha*e d#e &ell "# abide by( Teiresias/s

'redic"i# "ha" 6! deadly((( curse shall dri*e edi'us8 $#r"h #u" #$ "his lad, &i"h darkess # y#ur

eyes is ul"ima"ely *idica"ed +)#'h#cles, 1-(

@#r "he !"heia audiece, "ragedy uld ha*e bee ie%"ricably liked &i"h religi# +ald#ck,

199-( The 'lays 'er$#rmed durig "he Grea" i#ysia $#rmed a i"egral 'ar" #$ "he religi#us

is"i"u"i#s ad ci*ic b#dies #$ !"hes +ald#ck, 199-( ; "his &ay, "he *idica"i# #$ 'r#'hecy as

achie*ed by )#'h#cles &i"hi Oedipus Rexuld ha*e bee *ie&ed as a religi#us less#

+ald#ck, 199+( The #'ii#s e%'ressed by "he Ch#rus 4 "ha" disregardig 'r#'hecy &as im'i#us 4

uld ha*e bee *ie&ed as religi#us is"ruc"i#( !s a resul" #$ "his, )#'h#cles/s use #$ "he c#"ras"

be"&ee sigh" ad blidess as &ell as "he #''#si"i# #$ ligh" ad darkess uld ha*e had

'ar"icular sigi$icace $#r "he !"heia audiece +ald#ck, 199-(

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.#rks Ci"ed

Greee, ( e'ar"me" #$ Classics, =h#des Bi*ersi"y( ad#u" # Oedipus Tyrannus( 2013(

ald#ck, M( 6)#'h#cles i reek Tragedy! "n #ntroduction( %$#rd: ris"#l, 199( 7 4 ?3(

)eale, ( 6)igh" ad lidess i edi'us "he ig i $ision and Stagecraft in Sophocles(L#d#: Cr##m elm, 192( 215 4 225(