In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus mocks the blindness of the seer Tiresias, who responds by telling Oedipus that he (Oedipus) is blind to the corruption in his own life, and soon will be literally blind, too. Issues of blindness and sight aren't quite as obvious in Antigone, but the same basic tension is there. Tiresias gives the current king, Creon, a warning, and the king is unable to see the wisdom of the seer's words. Creon is blinded by pride—his unwillingness to compromise, to listen to the opinions of his people, or to appear to be defeated by a woman. The blind Tiresias can see that the gods are angry and that tragedy will strike if Creon doesn't rethink his decision and change his mind. Creon lacks the insight to see this. In that sense, he is blind. And although he does eventually change his mind, and come to see the error of his stubbornness, it is too late—events have spiraled out of his control, and he now must witness the destruction of his family.
Related Themes from Other Texts
Blindness vs. Sight ThemeTracker
Blindness vs. Sight Quotes in Antigone
and the mood and mind for law that rules the city—
all these he has taught himself
and shelter from the arrows of the frost
when there's rough lodging under the cold clear sky
and the shafts of lashing rain—
ready, resourceful man!
Never without resources
never an impasse as he marches on the future—
only Death, from Death alone he will find no rescue
but from desperate plagues ha has plotted his escapes.
like a mortal enemy—let the girl go.
Let her find a husband down among the dead.
the gift of eloquence, he and no one else,
and character too…such men, I tell you,
spread them open—you will find them empty.
he'd never finish.
nothing worse than they mete out to me—
these masters of injustice!
raging through the girl.
once more, on the razor-edge of fate.
I loose them like an archer in my anger,
arrows deadly true. You'll never escape their
burning, searing force.
