Blog 8: Ignorance, Bliss, and Knowledge in Oedipus the King and The Matrix.

Within the two texts, the concepts of ignorance, bliss/happiness and knowledge are shared equally throughout the storylines. We can see this is evident between the main characters Neo and Oedipus. Both characters depend on an Oracle to help provide insight and knowledge with upcoming future events, both live in a state of ignorance, and up to the point of which the prophesy is developed to be true they were full of bliss/happiness. With the “Matrix” we see the character of Neo who was trapped in a world of lies and illusion to some level his lack of knowledge kept him within boundaries of his ignorance. However he takes it upon himself to learn more about the reality even though this reality is beyond his comprehension of anything which he has ever seen or has believed as presented by Morpheus. Oedipus was too trapped in a world of illusion and ignorance. This world was manipulated since his birth by a lie having to do with his lineage. He believed he was a son to a King and Queen from across the land. To Oedipus those were without a doubt his real parents. That is until he went seeking the truth from a prophet named Teiresias who then caused Oedipus to begin questioning his life. If we were to compare the two stories the prophet Teiresias could assume the role of Morpheus and vice versa both held important knowledge to allow the main characters to continue on in their journey seeking out the truth. Ignorance was show with both characters in opposing ways, with Neo he did not believe he had such power within him, his very doubt he showed a level of ignorance, Oedipus thought of himself as an intellectual he believed in himself to almost becoming that of an egocentric maniac this superior complex was where his ignorance lived. With the use of oracles as representatives for knowledge and wisdom and situations which challenged the bliss and or happiness or the levels of ignorance both characters demonstrated we can see how within these two texts can correspond to one another.