What is the role of Tiresias in Oedipus Rex?

In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the minor character of Tiresias is responsible for foreshadowing Oedipus’ fate, developing the theme of blindness, and also illustrating dramatic irony.

What is Tiresias message?

Tiresias tells him that his refusal to bury Polynices and his punishment of Antigone for the burial will bring the curses of the gods down on Thebes.

What does Tiresias say to Oedipus?

This puts him into conflict with Oedipus, who is merely trying to be a good leader and save his city. 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.

What does Tiresias accuse Oedipus of?

What evidence does Teiresias call upon to support his accusation? Teiresias accuses Oedipus twice by saying that “the accursed polluter of this land is you” and “you yourself are the very man you’re looking for” (lines 421, 433–434).

What is the significance of Tiresias prophecy?

Tiresias warns Odysseus that he will lose all of his companions. In Oedipus Rex, Tiresias is still alive, and it is Tiresias who reveals to Oedipus the truth about who he is, and that he has inadvertently fulfilled the prophecy which warned that he would kill his father and marry his mother.

Who is Tiresias and what’s his story?

In Greek mythology, Tiresias (/taɪˈriːsiəs/; Ancient Greek: Τειρεσίας, romanized: Teiresías) was a blind prophet of Apollo in Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. He was the son of the shepherd Everes and the nymph Chariclo.

What advice does Tiresias give to Odysseus?

The troubles occur because Odysseus blinded the Cyclops, Poseidon’s son. First, he predicts the meeting of Helios’s grazing herds on Thrinakia. He advises that Odysseus and his team avoid these herds and eat them in no case. The second prophecy relates to Odysseus’s arrival to his home, Ithaca.

What two things does Tiresias say to Oedipus?

Teiresias foretells that Oedipus will be driven out of Thebes, and that he will be deprived of his eyesight. Teiresias adds that Oedipus will utter agonies of. cries on learning the implications of his marriage, and he will find himself equal with his own children. Oedipus asks Teiresias who his parents were.

What was Tiresias prophecy to Odysseus?

What does Tiresias say about Oedipus in the plague?

Tiresias grows angry and says that Oedipus is the cause of the plague—he is the murderer of Laius. As the argument escalates, Oedipus accuses Tiresias of plotting with Creon to overthrow him, while Tiresias hints at other terrible things that Oedipus has done. Get the entire Oedipus Rex LitChart as a printable PDF.

What happened to Laius in Oedipus Rex?

Oedipus Rex Summary. He orders the people of Thebes, under punishment of exile, to give any information they have about the death of Laius. Oedipus sends for Tiresias, the blind prophet, to help with the investigation. Tiresias comes, but refuses to tell Oedipus what he has seen in his prophetic visions.

How can I track the themes in Oedipus Rex?

LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Oedipus Rex, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. The play begins in the royal house of Thebes.

What does Oedipus Rex say about no matches?

count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last. No matches. Lichtenstein, Jesse. “Oedipus Rex Quotes.” LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 22 Jul 2013.