Oedipus the King Pages 274 280 Lines 291

Oedipus the King Pages 274 - 280

Lines 291 - 300 Even if god had never urged you on to act, how could you leave the crime uncleansed so long? A man so noble---your king, brought down in blood--you should have searched. But I am the king now, I hold the throne that he held then, possess his bed and a wife who shares our seed … why, our seed might be the same, children born of the same mother might have created blood-bonds between us if his hope of offspring hadn’t met disaster--but fate swooped his head and cut him short.

How does the passage confirm Oedipus’ fate? • He has married his mother • The final part of the oracle has been predicted • If Laius had fathered children before his death, Oedipus would be their stepfather

Agenor • Father of Cadmus • Founder of the line: their power and mine are one

Tiresias • Blindness symbolizes inner sight • Inner vision is regarded as more important than physical sight • Knows information hidden from other mortals

Lines 359 - 362 Tiresias: How terrible---to see the truth when the truth is only pain to him who sees! I knew it well, but I put it from my mind, else I never would have come. What does Tiresias mean? He means that he sees the truth that will hurt Oedipus.

Dreadful Secrets • Why does Tiresias tell his “dreadful” secrets? ▫ Tiresias knows Oedipus his a powerful man ▫ Tiresias knows his secret will enrage Oedipus

Oedipus’ interrogation of Tiresias Page 276 • Will it turn out to be useless? ▫ The mystery will be revealed by obtaining the message plucked from the birds. (By studying the internal organs of dead birds) (Metaphor) ▫ Oedipus is convinced Tiresias is bent on destroying Thebes ▫ Interrogation is a vital part of the story

New attributes about Oedipus • He is now quick to judge others. (Tiresias) • He now becomes angry quicker. (Tiresias “dreadful” secrets) • Convinced that Tiresias is making up the story

Oedipus taunting Tiresias about his blindness • Shows how conceited and arrogant Oedipus is • Shows Oedipus’ unwillingness to accept a seer’s wisdom • Belies Oedipus’ statement that he would do anything to help his country

Augury • Practice of divination, or telling the future • Tiresias, a seer, would make predictions based on omens, rune stones, and the flight patterns of birds • Comparable to modern-day psychics who use crystal balls and tarot cards