Throughout the play Oedipus the King the theme of blindness can be seen. Sophocles uses Tiresias as a major vehicle in establishing this theme. Tiresias’ physical blindness is used to accentuate Oedipus’ blindness to the truth of his past, and present.
Tiresias is a prophet of Apollo and can see the corruption of Oedipus’ life despite the fact that he is blind and therefore cannot physically see. Oedipus, however, has physical sight yet is blind to the truth of his life. As the citizens of Thebes are told to find the killer of Laius to end the plague