Many view Tiresias as gifted with the visions of prophecy.
ability to foresee the future resembles a curse for Tiresias. The visions isolate Tiresias from the world. No one possesses his ability and therefore they cannot relate to his situation. Tiresias employs his visions to warn of approaching disaster but often his advice falls on deaf ears. Those who sought his counsel then mock him as a false prophet. The visions allow Tiresias to know all that will occur in the world. He witnesses the suffering of humanity. The burden of the visions causes Tiresias to weep. .
As Tiresias" boy accompanies him down a Theban street he sees the prophet saddened. The boy tells Tiresias "Smile, master smile. You know fates lattice, the chattering crows tell you all." Tiresias" boy like everyone imagines the visions are a great gift that should be cherished. However he cannot possibly comprehend the weight the visions place on Tiresias" shoulders. .
Tiresias holds the power of knowledge, which he must use wisely. Often when Tiresias reveals the information he knows men listen but gradually turn away as he foresees a dreadful future. They begin to believe Tiresias plots against them or has sold out for money. In "Antigone" Creon says "The generation of prophets has always loved gold." They do not realize that Tiresias refuses to use his powers for personal gain. They do not understand that the visions are a great responsibility the gods have given Tiresias. .
In Scene V of "Antigone" Tiresias appears before Creon to caution him of what will .
happen if he does not free Antigone and provide Polyneices a proper burial. Tiresias says to Creon "It is for your own good that I speak as I do." Tiresias only desires to use his power to save Creon from the tragedy that will befall him. Tiresias tells Creon "You stand once more on the edge of fate." Creon, like all the powerful men before him, refuses to listen once Tiresias utters the words he least wants to hear.
In addition to this, Tiresias has physical blindness but also has prophetic insight. ... This leads Oedipus to doubt Tiresias" ability to see the truth. Had Oedipus not had so much pride, he would have understood the truth of Tiresias. Tiresias uses puzzling predictions to make men ponder about themselves. ... Tiresias has a very different type of sight than that of Oedipus....
The two prophecies were given by a blind prophet named Tiresias. ... Before the prophecy, Tiresias and Oedipus had an argument. ... Oedipus obviously rebutted that remark and accused Tiresias of murder. Then Tiresias gave him the prophecy. ... The prophecy Tiresias gave to Oedipus had now come true. ...
Oedipus is also very demanding; he insists Tiresias tell him the prophecy against Tiresias" wishes. When Tiresias tells him that he is the murderer he instantly accuses Tiresias of being involved in the crime (179). ... When he completely dismisses what Tiresias says, just because he doesn't want to think he murdered Laius, he is being stubborn (180). Tiresias tells him that he is the man he hunts, and Oedipus threatens him because he is so stubborn. ...
Creon relies on Tiresias to help make the decisions of Thebes. ... Creon usually follows the words of Tiresias, except when Tiresias is requesting Creon to save Antigone. ... Tiresias knows the future of Creon if Antigone dies but Creon does not want to listen to Tiresias. ... Tiresias explains, "All men make mistakes, it is only human. ... After Tiresias informs Creon of the future, Creon accuses Tiresias for lying for profit. ...
Sophocles uses Tiresias as a major vehicle in establishing this theme. Tiresias" physical blindness is used to accentuate Oedipus" blindness to the truth of his past, and present. Tiresias is a prophet of Apollo and can see the corruption of Oedipus" life despite the fact that he is blind and therefore cannot physically see. ... Tiresias then informs Oedipus, reluctantly, on the reality of the situation. ... No longer able to deny the validity of Tiresias" accusations, Oedipus blinds himself with the pins that had held up Jocasta's robes. ...
When talking to Tiresias, the soothsayer, Oedipus loses his cool. ... Here, the raging Oedipus implies that Tiresias is a phony. ... Oedipus is obviously angry and after accusing Tiresias of planning to kill Laius, Tiresias finally tells Oedipus what he knows. Tiresias tells Oedipus that the murderer of Laius is Oedipus. ... He suggests that Creon schemed with Tiresias. ...
Tiresias, a prophet, who can see the future and knows what will happen to Oedipus, is physically blind. During the exchange between Tiresias and Oedipus near the beginning of the play, constant reference is made to Oedipus" sight and Tiresias" blindness. The irony here lies in the fact that Tiresias" sight is far greater than Oedipus"; despite his physical handicap, Tiresias can see the truth about who Oedipus is and what will happen in his life. Oedipus, however, is unwilling to listen to Tiresias and ignores the truth of his words; speaking to Tiresias he says, referring to Tiresias" blin...
Tiresias refuses to denounce the murder because seeing the truth only brings one pain. ... Tiresias remains insistent with his prophecies, although he is accused oflying. ... Tiresias inputs that Oedipus doesn't even know who his birth parets are. ... His stubborn mind will not allow Tiresias prophecies to guide his future. ... Like Oedipus, Jocasta wrongfully accuses Tiresias of treason and stereotypes that all prophets are liars. ...
Oedipus jeer he threw at Tiresias does come back to him. ... All these things give Tiresias' prophecies validity. ... Oedipus greets Tiresias by referring him to as "the master of all omens- (1244) which is a complement to Tiresias. Oedipus is happy to see Tiresias and is genuinely hopeful that Tiresias will give him hope with some answers. ... Even though Oedipus sent for Tiresias and is excited to see him at fir! ...
