Oedipus Rex: Similes 3 key examples

Comparing the dying people of Thebes to seabirds racing across the sky toward the setting sun illustrates the sheer extent of the death that plagues Thebes. The death is as regular as the end of the day, but it is happening so fast that it is as if the dying souls are attempting to race the sun itself.

While the simile evokes the end of the day, there is "no end" to the cycle of day and night, just as there is no foreseeable end to the deaths of the citizens of Thebes. The simile emphasizes the devastating effects of the plague and the futility the people of Thebes feel regarding how to help the city. There is, after all, no way to stop migrating animals or the setting of the sun. The repetition of "death" and "dying" five times in the short quotation further emphasizes the seemingly futile and never-ending loss of life currently occurring in Thebes. Considering that the plague is later revealed to be the result of Oedipus's transgressions, this early highlighting of its devastating consequences is particularly significant.

Oedipus's desire to "wall up my loathsome body like a prison" compares his desired state of being, one without any sound or sight, to a prison that lets nothing in. Oedipus's self-mutilation is a means of doing penance for the crimes he unknowingly committed, and the simile referencing a prison makes that relationship explicit.

The simile also makes clear that the self-blinding is, for Oedipus, the least he could do. In fact, he desires to block out more and stop his ears from hearing as well. The simile then illustrates the sheer extent of Oedipus's suffering: self-blinding is not the most drastic measure Oedipus would like to take, but rather is the only action within his power that comes close to what he believes he deserves. Oedipus's senses have become sources of pain, hence his yearning for "oblivion [...] a world away from pain." Remember, however, that Oedipus was "blind" to the truth, and thus it was, in a sense, his senses—his inability to listen to others, be they the prophets or Jocasta—that caused his suffering. The simile than figuratively parallels what literally happened throughout the story, making Oedipus's senses the cause of his suffering.

Sophocles makes use of imagery during the moment of Oedipus's self-blinding, describing what is heard—"his voice like a dirge"—and seen—"blood spurts [...] splashing his beard, a swirl of it, nerves and clots." The simile comparing Oedipus's voice to a dirge further contributes to the weight of the scene. A dirge is a song or hymn expressing grief for the dead, often as a part of a funeral rite. Oedipus is lamenting Jocasta's suicide, making the simile not far off from the reality of the situation.

The imagery paints a visceral picture of the play's climax—which occurs offstage—highlighting the gore and violence of Oedipus's self-blinding. The metaphorical description of the blood as a "black hail" is yet another example of how figurative language brings to life the visual imagery of Oedipus's act. Oedipus' blinding thus becomes an act of unique, extreme violence, the only one appropriate for the tragic hero. The fact that the blinding occurs offstage makes the figurative language used by Sophocles particularly significant, as the messenger has to bring to life the horror of the moment for the audience.

The use of imagery to describe Oedipus's loss of sight is also an instance of situational irony, as Oedipus loses his ability to see just as the visual spectacle of this loss is emphasized through figurative language. In a play laden with irony foreshadowing the conclusion of the play, this climactic moment of situational irony allows Sophocles to once more gesture at Oedipus's ignorance and futility: he is blind when others can see.