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Adrian K Dorsman
Prof. Alan Pratt
HUMN 142
Sep. 30, 2016
Uncertain Vision in Othello and Oedipus
Othello and Oedipus are probably Shakespeare and Sophocles’ most prominent and
remarkable tragedies in literature. In both of these two plays, Othello and Oedipus are supposed
to be the heroes of their respective worlds. Despite a thousand-year gap between the two plays,
the tragedies are fascinating to read and understand. The theme of uncertain vision is
prominently explored in both plays. Oedipus the King and Othello, both protagonists in their
respective plays, are metaphorically blinded from perceiving the reality. In other words, the two
characters head to their downfall because they are unable to separate reality from appearance, as
well as truth from deception. However, it must be understood that one cannot entirely blame the
protagonists for their inadequacies. Apparently, a series of external factors and personality flaws
may have contributed to their blindness. Typically, the two characters can be considered as
admirable and even heroic individuals when not struck by unfortunate circumstances. However,
subtle differences exist in the way their blindness is depicted in the plays. For Oedipus, his
blindness is likely self-imposed because he cannot see the truth regarding his life. On the
contrary, Othello quickly succumbs to the manipulative and cunning deception of Iago because
of his inexperience with women.
Oedipus can be considered an archetypal illustration of sheer blindness or uncertain
vision. The blindness referred here is not literal but metaphorical. In other words, Oedipus can be
considered as blind to the truth. Metaphorical blindness is often fatal because the individual may
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remain helpless until he/she comes to learn the truth the hard way. In this regard, Oedipus
emerges as an individual who is blind to the fate that gods determined for him before he was
even born. The path towards his blindness is rather interesting. Before he was even born, an
oracle prophesied that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother. Jocasta, Oedipus
mother says, “That it was fate that he should die a victim at the hands of his own son, a son to be
born of Laius and me (Sophocles 11). When his parents learned this, King Laius decided to cast
him away to die so that the prophecy would never be fulfilled. However, a series of fortunate
events saved his life and ensured he remained alive. However, he had no control over this as a
child. Perhaps, the first instance of blindness occurs in Corinth where he was the adopted son of
King Polybus (Sophocles 12). During a dinner party, Oedipus contends that a drunken man
“accused me in his drink of being bastard” (Sophocles 12). This was supposed to draw his
