Editing Oedipus Rex (section)

=== Sight and blindness ===
{{Primary sources|section|date=October 2024}}
[[File:Photo Milan, Teatro Manzoni. Vittorio Gassman during the performance of the tragedy Oedipus Rex by Sophocles 1955 - Touring Club Italiano 04 2242.jpg|thumb|Vittorio Gassman as Oedipus]]
Literal and metaphorical references to eyesight appear throughout ''Oedipus Rex''. Clear vision serves as a metaphor for [[insight]] and [[knowledge]], yet the clear-eyed Oedipus is blind to the truth about his origins and inadvertent crimes. The prophet [[Tiresias]], on the other hand, although literally blind, "sees" the truth and relays what is revealed to him. Only after Oedipus gouges out his own eyes, physically blinding himself, does he gain prophetic ability, as exhibited in ''[[Oedipus at Colonus]]''. It is deliberately ironic that the "seer" can "see" better than Oedipus, despite being blind. Tiresias, in anger, expresses such (lines 495–500):<ref>Johnston, Ian, ed. ''Oedipus the King''. Saint Louis: Saint Louis Public Schools, 2004. https://www.slps.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=22453&dataid=25126&FileName=Sophocles-Oedipus.pdf .</ref>{{Rp|11}}

{{Poemquote|text=Since you have chosen to insult my blindness—
you have your eyesight, and you do not see
how miserable you are, or where you live,
or who it is who shares your household.
Do you know the family you come from?
Without your knowledge you’ve become
the enemy of your own kindred|char=|title=|source=}}