Punishment and Prophecy: Blindness in Oedipus Rex, King Lear, and Jane Eyre

This paper will examine the significance of blindness in Oedipus Rex, King Lear, and Jane Eyre. In each of these canonical works, the character presents a moral infringement and consequently is castigated through the loss of sight. For Oedipus and Rochester this is a sexual transgression while for Gloucester, blindness is a reflection of his ignorance of his son’s duplicity. This literary commonality implements vision loss as a punishment for immorality. Yet, from this loss of sight also stems transcendence. Paradoxically, in losing their sight, the characters garner a greater sensory awareness and prophetic insight as Oedipus sees his future and Rochester experiences a telepathic exchange with Jane. This paper will also examine the portrayals of blind characters and how they reflect historic shifts in society’s conceptualization of the disabled community.