The Dichotomy of Sight in Oedipus at Colonus A simple process formed the backbone of most Greek philosophy. The ancients thought that by uniting two equally valid but opposite ideas, the thesis and the antithesis, a new and higher truth could be reached. That truth is called synthesis. This tactic of integrating two seemingly opposing halves into a greater whole was a tremendous advance in human logic. This practice is illustrated in Oedipus at Colonus in regards to Sophocles' depiction of vision, sight, and the eye. In Colonus there are many and varied descriptions of the aspects of the eye, whether human or divine. For Sophocles, the eye must have been a synthesis, both physical and spiritual, but something separate from both. In Colonus, the blind see and those who see are blinded. Perfect irony. A great example of blindsight is Oedipus, the “tragic hero.” Although physically blind, he discerns things that others ignore. Relying on Antigone's help, he learns compassion and humility. “Dude, my daughter's eyes are for mine.” (83) While some men are able to see the outside world, their pride blinds them to the reality of what they see. But through the horrible blindness from which Oedipus suffers, he is finally able to let go of his arrogance and rely on others, an image reminiscent of Tiresias and his wisdom. “Stranger: 'What service can a blind man do him?' Oedipus: 'Everything I say will be clear indeed'” (86). But all human beings endure, to a greater or lesser extent, intangible blindness. Human emotions often cloud judgment. When Polyneices came to beg for mercy, Antigone reported to Oedipus: “And no man is with him, father; but his eyes are swollen ... middle of paper ...... human vision for many days. This is a serious show and its purpose is to teach and inform. The dichotomy of sight is the contrast of disparate elements: the physical and the mental, the divine and the human. Sophocles attempts to make a statement through his in-depth examination of the basics of sight. He is calling the Greeks to a higher standard, calling them back to their roots, evoking images and themes from the Odyssey and other epics. The main focus of this play must be divine sight and irony, and its message in the end is that a person can look beneath the surface, because all people are dichotomies in some sense. We are the combination of the worldly and the unworldly; each is a part of us, yet we are neither. Works Cited Sophocles. The Oedipus cycle. Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Harvest/HBJ-Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1939.