The blind prophet or seer. He knows that the terrible prophecy of Oedipus has already come true, but doesn't want to say what he knows. Only when Oedipus accuses him of treachery does Tiresias suggest that Oedipus himself is guilty of the murder of King Laius. He leaves Oedipus with a riddle that implies, plainly enough for the audience to understand, that Oedipus has killed his father and married his mother.
Tiresias Quotes in Oedipus Rex
The Oedipus Rex quotes below are all either spoken by Tiresias or refer to Tiresias. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Penguin Classics edition of Oedipus Rex published in 1982.
Lines 341-708
Quotes
Just send me home. You bear your burdens,
I'll bear mine. It's better that way,
please believe me.
I'll bear mine. It's better that way,
please believe me.
Did you rise to the crisis? Not a word,
you and your birds, your gods—nothing.
No, but I came by, Oedipus the ignorant,
I stopped the Sphinx! With no help from the birds,
the flight of my own intelligence hit the mark.
you and your birds, your gods—nothing.
No, but I came by, Oedipus the ignorant,
I stopped the Sphinx! With no help from the birds,
the flight of my own intelligence hit the mark.
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
No man will ever
be rooted from the earth as brutally as you.
be rooted from the earth as brutally as you.
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Blind who now has eyes, beggar who now is rich,
he will grope his way toward a foreign soil,
a stick tapping before him step by step.
he will grope his way toward a foreign soil,
a stick tapping before him step by step.
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Tiresias Character Timeline in Oedipus Rex
The timeline below shows where the character Tiresias appears in Oedipus Rex. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Lines 1-340
...anyone who defies his orders. The leader of the chorus suggests that Oedipus send for Tiresias, the blind seer. Oedipus announces that he has already done so. Soon, blind Tiresias arrives,...
(full context)
Lines 341-708
Oedipus asks Tiresias, the prophet, to help Thebes end the plague by guiding him to the murderers of...
(full context)
Now angry, Oedipus accuses Tiresias of plotting to kill Laius. This upsets Tiresias, who tells Oedipus that Oedipus himself is...
(full context)
Oedipus convinces himself that Creon has put Tiresias up to making these accusations in attempt to overthrow him. He mocks Tiresias's blindness and...
(full context)
As the men continue to argue, Tiresias prophesies that Oedipus will know who his parents are by the end of the day,...
(full context)
...Creon tries to defend himself against the charges. He claims he has no idea what Tiresias was going to say, and has no desire to be king. He suggests that Oedipus...
(full context)
Lines 709-997
Jocasta asks how Oedipus's argument with Creon started. Oedipus tells her that Creon sent Tiresias to accuse Oedipus of Laius's death. Jocasta responds that Oedipus shouldn't worry about the seer's...
(full context)