Optical Illusion on Oedipus Rex and Othello

The estimation of port and humankind is such a dominant one in Oedipus Rex and Othello, and the obsession with way plays such an important come out in carry them closer to Oedipus and Othellos tragedy, that the plays put forward be termed a tragedies of appearance in human demeanor, in which the opposite of appearance is truth or authoritativeity. scarcely this theme of uncertain mental imagery is presented through different thematic demeanor in bith tragedies.Sophocles takes an internal element of character into consideration whereas Shakespeare hold a mixture of internal and external elements responseble fior the optical illusions of Othello and other characters in the play. At get-go it is on behalf of appearance that we see a battle waged in Oedipus red. As this battle progresses we see appearance losing more and more ground. The first stage in it is the institution of the divinely-instructed enquiry into the death of Laius, which means that the appearance of it tha t it was the work of outland robbers-is non presumptioned.Quite early in the enquiry, Oedipus is led wide by an appearance-that the robbers who were alleged to have attacked Laius mustiness have been associated with Thebes, and the skepticism that Creon must have at their stomach. the question points to Creon. Creon gives the appearance of evading it. The suspicion, he says, that unavoidably arose could non be pursued after the deed. Why non? The sphinx came for some sequence after this, to be sure, the suspicion seems to lie dormant. But the focus of direction is no longer on the scene of the crime, or the look it happened, nonwithstanding rather on those who were ultimately responsible, and Thebes.Then suddenly, after the quarrel with the incompatible and apparently malevolent prophet, the suspicion is confirmed, the connection between Creon and Teiresias is established, and the existence of a whole web of enmity stands corroborated as fact. Oedipus suspects that the robbers were bribed to play their part, and ultimately he thinks that both Creon and Teiresias were behind them. Thus the supposed existence of a mend to murder Laius is another appearance which leads Oedipus astray. So Oedipus is to become concerned with appearances which it becomes his lifes mission to investigate, so that he may get at the underlying truth or reality.Appearance and truth come into yield also in the discussion of faulty fantasy of Oedipus. Another facial expression of Oedipus obsession with appearance is his intellectual myopia. He has a limited vision and is unable to assess the situations in a right perspective. Robert L. Kane (1975) puts this preposition in this way HeOedipus was the victim of an optical illusion. (p. 196) The juxtaposition between outward magnanimousness and inward trickness of Oedipus and the outward blindness and inward stack of the prophet (Kirkwood, p. 30) depicts two types of blindness i. e. physical and intellectual. One is relat ed to physical sight whereas the other, the most pernicious type of blindness, pertains to insight. Teiresias is physically blind but whereas Oedipus is blind intellectually. This intellectual blindness of Oedipus also contributes greatly to his hope in appearance rather than truth and ultimately leads him to his tragic destination. Oedipus possesses faultless physical vision throughout play except in the end but he remains blind to the reality regarding himself.At one point in the play, he has the ability to see but he is not impulsive to do so. Additionally it is his faulty intellectual insight make him believe in the apearence of some unknown enemy and he pronounces on him the reprove of outlawry and also uttes a curse on him. The reality of it that it is on himself that he is passing both the sentences, is umknown to him. However, we may notice that the gradual and increase loss of Oedipus detachment and the growing references to himself raise the suspicion that unconciously Oedipus know what reality lies hidden behind the appearance.Unlike Oedipus Rex, in Othello it is the machination of Iago that blurs the visiioon of Othello and deprives noble moor to expose between reality and apprearence. Othello, together with several other characters mostly depend on their visual faculties that is distorted and warped by the skillfull deceitfulness of Iago. These character along with Othello base their conclusion about realities what apears to them and do not delve deep into the reality of the things. But unlike Oedipus their optical allusion is not result of something inherent in their charcter.Othello is intelligent enough that he knows that looks can be decieving but Iago trciker blinds him. For example, Othello notices that Cassio walks forward swiftly after having a talk with Desdemona. Although Othello does not see incongruity in their meet but Iago presents this meeting differently and sneakily. Iago murmurs to Othello, I cannot think it, that he wo uld steal away so guilty like. (lll,iii,42) Here the machination makes the vision of Othello illusory and he concludes erreaneously as he says, I do believe twas he. (lll,iii,44) But as a matter of fact, Cassio and Desdemona converse about getting Cassios job back as Desdemona says to Cassio I knowt. I thank you. You do grapple my lord /You have known him long and be you healthful advised He shall in strangeness stand no farther off Than in politic distance. (lll,iii,11) But Othello believes what he observed and percieved through the lenses of suspicion that iago sowed in his mind. This lead to a dilemma that becomes unfixanle later and ultimately leads to the tragedy of Othello.This is interesting to note that all characters in the play, except for Roderigo (to whom Iago sometimes shows his real face) have a high opinion of Iago and refer to him as reliable Iago. The Mutual relationship between Iago and Othello is of trust and reliance on the part of Othello but it is connivin g and devious on the part of Iago. Iago has same relationship with Cassio. Cassio is also deceived by the seeming virtue of Iago and actually believes that ensign is a kind-hearted man. But at the same time is a rival to Iago in the royal court.Unlike pride in Oedipus over his abilities, it is element of trust that deprives Othello of his vision and makes him believe in appeareance as ultimate reality. Although when Iago starts working on Othello, he suspects him and asks for evidence, yet from the beginning of the play, he seems to have put correct confidence in the honesty of Iago, who had not been his companions in arms. This confidence is pose but it is no sign of stupidity in Othello. He does not have a distinctive fear of him. We find this even in front Iago has set a trap for him.Othello fears the monster overly hideous to be shown that he discerns about Iagos thoughts. This manifests a strange relationship establish on paradoxical feelings. It is of confidence, trust and fear. But latter events show that Othellos trust in Iago overpowers the instinctive fear. This happens due to Othellos non-meditative nature. He does not contemplate over issues and does not weigh their motive and consequences. A. C. Bradley rightly says in this regard The sources of danger in this character are revealed but too all the way by the story. In the first place, Othellos mind, for all its poetry, is very simple.He is not observant. His nature tends outward. He is quite free from introspection, and is not condition to reflection. Emotion excites his imagination, but it confuses and dulls his intellect. (p. 217) Above-mentioned arguments and supporting textual and extra-textual evidence clearly suggest that in Oedipus Rex, it is something habitual and internal in the chracter of Oedipus himself who is unable to distinguish between what seems to be and what actually is whereas it is an external element (Iago) as well as an internal element (his thorough trust on Iago) in Othello that leads to the optical illusion.