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Duplex Journey of Oedipus Between Light and Dark

The theme of light and darkness in the play

Light and Darkness is the one of the primary themes in the play. This play charts

Oedipus’s journey from both light to darkness and darkness to light. The theme of light refers to

sight and knowledge and darkness refers blindness and ignorance or lack of knowledge. The play

the Oedipus’s journey of darkness to light references his changing of mental state but on the

other hand journey of light to darkness references his physical state.

“Oedipus Rex” consists numbers of references to sight and blindness and to darkness and

light. The theme of light and darkness is relevant beyond the characters. We can say Tiresias is

the light and Oedipus is the darkness , but at the same time he represents intelligence but also

ignorance.

In the beginning of the play we can see the people of Thebes suffering for the Plague,

hoping for someone who can purge the dark, horrible situation of Thebes and being light of life

upon then.

As the play continues, Oedipus sends Creon to Delphi to speak with Apollo. As the news

is read out, the people of Thebes do not yet know that Oedipus is the perpetrator. The people are

simply coming to the darkness in search of light. The only way to bring light is to expel the

darkness that lurks in their land. After a number of events Oedipus figured out everything what
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he had done by the lights of knowledge but at the same time he ruined his eyes, all the lights,

fells into forever dark world (“Oedipus Rex : A Tragic Journey Of Self Discovery.”).

The duplex journey of Oedipus

The plot is developed around a light verses darkness theme. This theme is best

demonstrated through Oedipus' pride, his encounters with Tiresias, and his wife Jocasta. The

irony of sight in this play can be marked by Oedipus' inability to realize that which is evident to

the reader. From the very beginning, Oedipus was in darkness by pride. With the city of Thebes

dying, Oedipus vows to do everything in his power to find Laius' killer. The leader of the chorus

advises Oedipus that no one knows the identity of the murderer, and that the god Apollo should

name him to the people. He has called on the blind seer, Tiresias, who can "see" what Oedipus

can not though he suffers of old age and physical blindness. Tiresias, who is able to see the truth

of the downfall of Oedipus thorough the oracle's prophecy even in his own blindness, becomes

the comparative image from which Oedipus is judged, both by himself and by others.

Throughout the conversation between Oedipus and Tiresias, he will not divulge the information

King Oedipus is longing to hear. After all the quarrel Oedipus blames him for the murder, and

then for conspiring with Creon to take his throne. These accusations Oedipus makes are caused

by his fear of the truth he is too blind to see. This blame causes an argument between the two.

During the argument, Oedipus insults Tiresias' of his blindness. It is ironic that Oedipus, who is

disrespectful to Tiresias because of his blindness, is spiritually blinded from the truth himself.

Tiresias comes back denoting Oedipus' blindness to the truth, but assures him that he will soon

be able to see. During the argument, Oedipus further shows his blindness through his arrogance
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Oedipus lost the trust upon Tieresias. He started the investigation with his own hand and brain.

But after many investigation and Discovery he figured out what’s the real light but also a very

deep darkness. He figured out, he killed his father , slept with her mother, and also the whole

reason of Plague ( "Oedipus Rex - From Light to Dark”).

The light he speaks of refers to several things: light in a physical sense as he has already

cursed himself to be blinded, light as in goodness because this is his last moment before knowing

all the evil he committed, and finally the light of knowledge as he sees the meaning of all that

came before. We can see his journey of darkness to light describes his journey of ignorance to

knowledge and simultaneously journey of light no darkness describes his loss of eye sight,

journey of bright world to forever dark blind world, as well as a added very dark incident of his

life into his brain and mind. Anagnorisis and peripetia happen simultaneously in his journey as

usual it happens into the life of a tragic protagonist (“Sight vs. Blindness Theme Analysis.”)

The three forms of light and darkness take on an extremely important role in the play.

The duplex journey brought knowledge as the from of light and darkness as a physical loss, his

loss of eye sight.

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Works Cited

Bartleby contributors. “Oedipus Rex : A Tragic Journey Of Self Discovery.” Bartleby,

www.bartleby.com/essay/Oedipus-Rex-A-Tragic-Journey-Of-Self-F3NTZ3MZA4PP.

Accessed on 27 Nov. 2019

LitCharts contributors. “Sight vs. Blindness Theme Analysis.” LitCharts,

www.litcharts.com/lit/oedipus-rex/themes/sight-vs-blindness. Accessed on 27 Nov. 2019.

WriteWork contributors. "Oedipus Rex - From Light to Dark”

https://www.writework.com/essay/oedipus-rex-light-dark. Accessed on 27 Nov. 2019.