In the novel Blindness by José Saramongo, he declares: “I think that we are blind, blind but seeing, blind people who can see but do not see. He explains that people think they can see, but they are truly blind because they are blind to certain ideas or questions that are essential. In Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, Ian McEwan's The Atonement, and Albert Camus's The Stranger, the characters' blindness leads them to act irrationally, which often has fatal repercussions. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is blind to the possible consequences of discovering the truth, which leads to his irrational actions. At birth, Oedipus was cursed with a prophecy that he would murder his father and marry his mother. He fulfilled this prophecy, although without knowing it. During the investigation to find the murderer of Oedipus' father, King Laius, Tiresias, a blind prophet, accuses Oedipus of being "the murderer he hunts" (Sophocles 413) . The prophet can see the truth of Oedipus' life. This is ironic because the prophet is blind, while Oedipus sees, but is blind to the truth. Oedipus reacts to this accusation with rage and shouts that Teiresias “cannot harm [him] nor anyone who sees the light” (Sophocles 426). Oedipus states that he can see light since he is not physically blind; however, the light represents truth, something he cannot see. This further shows his blindness because he doesn't realize how blind he actually is. His blindness causes him to act irrationally by becoming obsessed with researching the story of his birth, even though his wife, Jacosta, begs him not to. Once she discovers the truth that she is his wife and also his mother, she asks him “in the name of God” to “call off [his] search” (Sophocles 1163). Oedipus, how...... middle of paper ...... sequences which accompany the revelation of the truth, Briony is blind to the consequences of his own actions, and Meursault blinded by the sun which completely overtakes him. All three characters meet unhappy ends due to their blindness. Oedipus is banished from his kingdom, Briony ruins her relationships and must spend her life trying to redeem herself, and Meursault is sentenced to death. Their tragic endings show the fatal repercussions of blindness and the extent to which it can impact people's lives. Works Cited Camus, Albert. The Stranger. 1942. Trans. Matthew Ward. New York: VintageInternational, 1989. Print. McEwan, Ian. Atonement. New York: Anchor Books, 2003. Print.Sophocles. The three Theban plays: Antigone, Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus. Trans. Robert Fagles. Harmondsworth: Penguin Classics, 1984.Print.