Oedipus asks Tiresias , the prophet, to help Thebes end the plague by guiding him to the murderers of King Laius. But Tiresias does not want to tell Oedipus what he knows. He asks to be sent home and says he will not tell his secret. Oedipus insults Tiresias, but the prophet still refuses to speak. The blind seer sees the truth, but tries to protect Oedipus by remaining silent. This puts him into conflict with Oedipus, who is merely trying to be a good leader and save his city.
Active Themes. Fate vs. Free Will. Related Quotes with Explanations. Now angry, Oedipus accuses Tiresias of plotting to kill Laius. This upsets Tiresias, who tells Oedipus that Oedipus himself is the cause of the plague—Oedipus is the murderer of Laius.
As the insults fly back and forth, Tiresias hints that Oedipus is guilty of further outrages. Oedipus, thinking he understands more than he does, is too quick to judge Tiresias. Though Tiresias is a noted seer, Oedipus is too angry to listen to him. Oedipus convinces himself that Creon has put Tiresias up to making these accusations in attempt to overthrow him. He mocks Tiresias's blindness and calls the man a false prophet.
The leader of the chorus tries to calm the two men down. Tiresias warns Oedipus that Oedipus is the blind one—blind to the corrupt details of his own life. While this confident expedience was laudable in the first section, it is exaggerated to a point of near absurdity in the second.
Oedipus asks Tiresias and Creon a great many questions—questions are his typical mode of address and frequently a sign of his quick and intelligent mind—but they are merely rhetorical, for they accuse and presume rather than seek answers. The Chorus seems terrified and helpless in this section, and its speech at lines — is fraught with uncertainty and anxiety. Though, like Oedipus, the Chorus cannot believe the truth of what Tiresias has said, the Chorus does not believe itself to be untouchable as Oedipus does, consisting as it does of the plague-stricken, innocent citizens of Thebes.
The gods are still present in this speech, but they are no longer of any help, because they know truths that they will not reveal. Thebes is menaced rather than protected by the heavens. SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Themes Motifs Symbols. Summary Oedipus the King, lines — Oedipus realizes he was probably the one who killed Laius but he still believes that Polybus and Merope were his parents. He says this because he even asked them when he was younger and they did not deny it.
Oedipus has full trust in Polybus and Merope. It is also said that Athena did not take the sight of young Tiresias; as the goddess explained to Chariclo 1, these were the old laws of Cronos, which inflicted the penalty of blindness on any mortal who beheld an immortal without consent.
Tiresias is said to have lived an exceptionally long life. When Athena blinded Tiresias, she also gave him foresight, the ability to see into the future. He is often portrayed as the oracle of Apollo, a man who could see the future and the will of the gods.
Why is it particularly ironic that Teiresias, the prophet, is blind? Ironic because Oedipus Rex becomes blind too. Oedipus keeps seeing things incorrectly as if he was blind, his anger blinds him. It would not be until Oedipus himself was physically blind that he would see the error of his ways. It is ironic that Oedipus, who is disrespectful to Tiresias because of his blindness, eventually becomes blind himself. He also sees that he and Tiresias have something in common: they both are blind, yet now are able to see the obvious.
Oedipus also accuses Tiresias of conspiring King Lauis death. Teiresias is kind of a cranky old fellow. We can see why. Even though he's blind, he can see better than any of those around him. He's in tune with the mind of Apollo and receives visions of the future. Teiresias is also gifted in the magic art of augury, or telling the future from the behavior of birds. You might think these are pretty awesome skills, but it's probably difficult when everybody around you is doomed to shame, death, or mutilation.
Not to mention, it must be annoying that whenever Teiresias does drop a little knowledge, people don't believe him. Both Jocasta and Oedipus are skeptical of his prophecies. Oedipus even goes so far as to accuse Teiresias of treason.
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