ignorance/blindness in oedipus Flashcards
What is the significance of Oedipus saying “I would be blind to misery” in the start of the play
Foreshadowing
What does Oedipus say to Tiresias when he tries to reveal the truth?
He says his words are nothing which shows ignorance
How does Tiresias angrily foreshadow to Oedipus?
You with your precious eyes, you’re blind to the corruption of your life
What does Oedipus mock about Tiresias?
He mocks his blindness
What does Oedipus command his attendant to do to Tiresias?
Commands him to take him away bc he is a nuisance
How is Jocasta ignorant about prophets?
No skill in the world, nothing human can penetrate the future
How does Jocasta respond to Oedipus’ possibility of being the killer?
She calls it impossible
What does Jocasta say about the new prophecies?
“The latest prophecies are as hollow as the old”
How is Jocasta ignorant to the news about Polybus’ death?
She rejoices immediately + when Oedipus is still worried about his mother being alive, she tells him to just celebrate
What does Jocasta tell Oedipus to stop doing?
“Stop if you love your own life, call off this search!”
What does oedipus say when he is told to call off the search? Why is this ignorant/blind?
“I will never fail to search + learn my birth”
He has been told multiple times to stop for his own safety
Why did the Shepard say Jocasta left Oedipus as a baby on the mountain?
She was afraid of the prophecies + left him there to die
What act does Oedipus do in the end of the play?
He takes Jocasta’s brooches, looks into the points + digs them down into the sockets of his eyes
What does Oedipus say as he blinds himself?
“You’ll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused”
What else does Oedipus wish he could do in the end of the play?
He wishes he could also be deaf
What does Oedipus call oblivion?
A blessing
What does Oedipus say about the mind dwelling?
Its a blessing for the mind to dwell a world away from the pain
What does Oedipus say to his children?
“Seeing nothing, knowing nothing, I became your father”
What did Plato argue about metaphysical and physical blindness?
Physical blindness doesn’t allow people to see the world
Metaphysical blindness is similar bc one can’t sense what is around them/become enlightened
What does Plato say about light + knowledge/sight?
How does this compare to Oedipus?
The light that the sun sheds on the world is perceived by the eyes, allowing the eyes to see info + form wisdom through sight
In the play, O refers to how he is blind in the darkness; he later says his hands served his once bright eyes
What did Aldrich call vision?
Vision is a bipolar concept
What does Garvie say about Oedipus + Tiresias’ contrasting blindness
Tiresias is physically blind, while Oedipus is sighted and knows nothings
What does Jocasta’s outburst + exit tell us?
She wanted to remain as metaphysically blind as she was before - she didn’t want to hear the truth
