He cut out his eyes didn't he?
Oedipus killed his own father without knowing it and slept with his own mother. His son's actions at the end (did they kill each other? I can't remember.) made Oedipus cut out his own eyes. What were Sophocles' motivations? Well, you see, for the Greeks tragedies were something holy. Everyone had to go and see a tragedy. Suffering together with the protagonists and learning from their mistake was called "catharsis" which literally translates as "purification". What is meant here is the purification of the soul from strong emotions. This was very important for the Greeks of that time and that is why Sophocles writes his play in this manner
