We
especially see the motif concerning sight and blindness in the
dialogue betweenand . Tiresias is ironically a blind soothsayer or "seer." However,
when Tiresias accurately prophecies that Oedipus is the "unholy polluter" of Thebes,
meaning the one who committed the murder that is causing the plague, Oedipus disbelieves that he
is speaking the truth (372). Instead, Oedipus proclaims that Tiresias does not have the truth
due to his blindness, as we see in his line, "Since you are blind in your ears and mind and
eyes" (390-391). Ironically, Tiresias turns Oedipus's accusations of blindness back on
Oedipus by saying that it is really Oedipus who is truly blind, as we see in his
lines:
You, even though you see clearly, do not see the
scope of your evil, nor where you live, nor with whom you dwell. (433-435)
Hence, the recurring motif of sight and blindness is applied to
both Tiresias and Oedipus to help portray the theme of limited perception and
understanding.
The motif of light and darkness
is frequently seen in relation to the gods and suffering, especially the current plague. The
gods are portrayed as light or a saving, redeeming grace, while suffering is portrayed as
darkness. The gods are asked to use their light and save the Thebans from their current state of
darkness. Oedipus himself refers to the god Apollo and any messages the god delivers that will
hopefully end the plague as light, as we see in Oedipus's lines, "Lord Apollo, if only he
might come as bright with redeeming fortune as shine his eyes!" (86-87). Later, when
thedelivers a long ode petitioning the gods for help, they also refer to the gods as saving
light. They call on three gods, Zeus, Artemis and Phoebus for protection from their current
troubles, as we see in their lines, "I call: my threefold protection from death, shine
forth on me" (175). Hence we see that the recurring motif of light and darkness helps to
portray protection and salvation as light, and death, destruction, and agony as
darkness.
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