Willie Ho

Oedipus Rex is a play that follows the adage "Ignorance is bliss." When Oedipus did know know of his misdoings, he was fine with himself. When he takes the extra step and finds out the truth, he falls into a state of denial. He strongly and continuously hopes that what he hears is not true. During the scene which the facts are brought to light, Oedipus is the first to realize what has happened. It was he who killed Laius. However, the story retold by Queen Jocasta, as told to her by a servant, stated that Laius was killed by a group of men, and he is one man so he cannot be a group. Having heard this, he tries to hold on to the slim chance that it was not him.

Ironically, when Oedipus is ignorant to everything around him, he literally has vision. When he find out the truth and stabs his eyes out, he is no longer ignorant. He knows everything and is no longer in the dark. However, in a literal sense he is in the dark because he stabs out his own eyes due to his denial.