Symbols in Oedipus Rex

1. Symbols in Oedipus Rex

2. What is a symbol? Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas and concepts.

3. Sight and Blindness • References to sight and the lack of sight are frequent in the play. • To modern thinkers and Ancient Greeks alike, the image of clear vision is used as a metaphor for knowledge and insight (for example: “I see the truth” or “I see the way things are.) • However, the reference to eyesight in Oedipus Rex is ironic. • In the beginning of the play, Oedipus is famed for clear-sightedness and quick comprehension, but he discovers that he has been blind to the truth for many years. • Finally, he blinds himself so he doesn’t have to look on his own children/siblings.

4. Oedipus’s Swollen Foot • In Greek, the word oedipusliterally means “swollen foot.” • He gets his name from the fact that he was left in the mountains with his ankles pinned together, which left Oedipus with a vivid scar for the rest of his life. • The injury symbolizes the way in which fate has marked him and set him apart from the rest. • It also symbolizes the way his movements have been confined and constrained since birth by Apollo’s prophecy.

5. The crossroads • Oedipus kills Laius at a crossroads. • A crossroads symbolizes a crucial moment in life (in and out of this play.) • This is the moment when Oedipus begins to fulfill the prophecy. Oedipus was not aware at the time that he was making a fateful decision. • In the play, the crossroads symbolizes fate and the power of prophecy rather than freedom of choice.