“Blindness” Present in “Oedipus” and “Medea”: A Comparison Essay

Introduction

Blindness is both physical and emotional or even intellectual, of which a person gets afflicted with it denoting not physical blindness but failure to see clearly on situations that may cause negative results if not addressed carefully. This kind of blindness is present in both stories of Medea and Oedipus. Medea, at most associated with the witch Greek goddess Hecate, is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun Helios, who fell in love with the hero of the Golden Fleece – Jason. Oedipus’ story is best known as a fulfilment of a prophecy: a banished son who soon killed his father and then marries his mother.

Oedipus’s story

Oedipus’s metaphorical blindness is one of the main themes concentrated in the Greek play. Oedipus at the middle of the story had the urge to free the citizens of Thebes from the threat of the Sphinx. On the latter part of his story, Oedipus would vow to do everything in his power to find the murderer of Laius, as the murder has caused the plague in Thebes. Oedipus firmly believed that, ‘The only way of deliverance from our plague is for us to find out the killers of Laius and kill and banish them.”

Oedipus believes that his propensity in solving problems would eventually guide him to the truth and subsequently, down the correct path. But in fact, Oedipus is a man who studies the ground in front of him so intensely he did not bother to look up and see other details. The irony of his situation is that his insight led him to a contradictory truth. As Teresias accused, “I say, you murdered the man whose murderer you require” referring to Oedipus himself who killed Laius his father.

However, Oedipus’s inability to comprehend Teresias’s riddles is a product of his hubris — pride and arrogance — which act together to figuratively blindfold him and make him incapable of acknowledging the possibility of being Laius’s murderer and marrying his own mother, Jocasta. Teresia pointed out, “You blame my temper, but you do not see your own that lives within you.” Teresias implies that Oedipus should be ashamed of his acts because he is metaphorically, blind to his wrongs. As Oedipus continues to mock him, Teresias specifies his prophecy and proves that Oedipus is “blind’ and cannot see the certainty of his downfall.”

Oedipus proves his blindness lies not only within the eyes, after all is said and done as he had to blind himself for the repercussions of all his actions, but also within his ears, he was deaf. He can listen carefully to others, but his ability to reason falls victim to his rage and anger. He refuses to acknowledge anyone else’s views and opinions except his own. Teresias, once again pointed out, “You are pleased to mock my blindness. Have you eyes, and do not see your own damnation? Eyes, and cannot see what company you keep?”

Teresias states that Oedipus, despite his fully functioning eyes, cannot see the truth that lies in front of him. Due to his cunning attempts to escape his inevitable destiny, Oedipus walks into the fate he was destined to have. Oedipus lets his own image overshadow the images, voices and acts of those around him. His extreme pride is his tragic flaw, and his blindness leads him to his own downfall, whereupon he physically blinds himself, replacing a previously symbolic impediment with reality. “How could I meet my father beyond the grave with seeing eyes; or my unhappy mother, against whom I have committed such heinous sin?” At this instance, he was able to finally see the ‘light’ – the terrible truth that he has been blinded all his life. “Oedipus, greatest of all men, he held the key to the deepest mysteries,” the Chorus laments.

Medea’s story

In Medea’s story, her own cunning and cleverness made her blind to a lot of good or positive things including her having two children sired by her love Jason. From the start, Medea has managed to slyly mask her true emotions. As the Chorus went, “Heaven-born light, restrain her, stop her, get her out of the house, the murderous accursed fiend of vengeance.” She has managed to fool Jason into believing her children are safe in her hands, but at the same time, plotting to kill them. “Miserable woman, you must be made of stone or iron, to kill the fruit of your womb, a self-inflicted fate,” the Chorus said.

The play opens with the nurse’s soliloquy about Jason forsaking her for a younger princess. “Jason has betrayed his own sons and my mistress – left her for royal wedding-bed,” the Nurse wailed drawing the audience to Medea’s side and induces it to emphasize with Medea. And yet, it is soon revealed that Medea left her native country and killed her brother to be Jason’s bride. This starts a blinded love for Jason.

Medea, for several occasions, has used cunning to mislead and blind her perceived enemies, including Jason, whom she offered to help with the capture of the golden fleece in exchange for marrying her. She put the sleepless dragon with her narcotic. She killed her brother Absyrtus to distract the kingdom of their flee, using once again trickery, a form of blinding and misleading. She drugged Apollodorus to slain Talos, among other deception and blindness.

In the end, Medea destroys Jason’s life by killing his new bride and his children, preventing any continuation of his legacy of which made her fail to achieve a greater understanding due to her suffering blown much bigger by selfishness.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that due to the strong persona that is flawed, thereby blinded, that caused the downfall of both subjects of these plays. Oedipus his blinding pride closed his eyes on Teresias and the messenger’s revelation. It took two messengers and Jocasta’s suicide to open his eyes to accept the truth. His very accusation of Teresias, an old blind man, shows how he has shut off any sense. He denies the wrongs he has committed with his own hands just as Medea is about the wrongs she resolved herself to commit. Medea, cunning and deceptive who not only causes blindness to her enemies, is enraged with vengefulness ended up not only killing her husband’s bride-to-be but also her own children. She asks, “Why should I try to hurt their father by making them suffer, and suffer twice as much myself? No, I’ll give up my plan. No, I must go through with it. What a coward I am, even to allow such weak thoughts,” Medea reflected, blindly. Her blinding others reflected back to herself.