The Concept of Blindness in Sophocles' King Oedipus and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

Abstract

In King Oedipus (429 B.C.E) by Sophocles and Death of a Salesman (1949 A.D) by Arthur Miller, the central characters Oedipus and Willy Loman take extreme pride in their professions; their pride blinds them from seeing the reality of their circumstances, and it eventually brings their ruin. At he same time, the other characters also display their figurative blindness in both the tragedies. However, it is demonstrated that the protagonists do not succeed in executing their responsibilities as leaders and instead encircle themselves with personal conflicts, which affect their families and others. They strive to rise above their problems with a view to avoiding any possibility of failure. Accordingly, they imbibe willingness in their nature to bring happiness in their plain lives. Ironically, just like Oedipus, Willy Loman never realises the full truth of himself and goes through his life in a blind manner.