Teiresias

Teiresias is one of important character in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, Teiresias is a blind prophet and he represents insight in this play. Teiresias is physically blind but he himself is actually can see the truth contrast to Oedipus who thinks he is knowledgeable.

Teiresias is the one who tells the truth to Oedipus about the murderer of Laios and he also reveals that Oedipus is actually the murderer of Laios. He is blind but he is not morally blind so then he knows the truth.

I think we better recall his history. Teiresias was the son of the shepherd, Everes and the nymph, Chariclo. In seven generations in Thebes, he fully participated in that period for Thebes, started as advisor to Kadmos.

In Greek mythology, Teiresias is a prophet of Zeus. He had experienced woman life after he had been transformed to be a woman for seven years. The incident happened when he saw two copulating snakes on the Mount Cyllene in the Peloponnese. Then, he hit the snakes a smart blow with his stick. Hera, was not pleased and she immidiately punished Teiresias by transforming him into a woman. After that, Teiresias became Hera's priestess, he was married and had children. One of Teiresias's child also posssesed the gift of prophecy. After seven years, Teiresias met two copulating snakes again. This time, he just left the snakes alone and according to the myth, if he left them alone, he would be released from the cursed. Finally, he released from the curse and became man again.

Teiresias didn’t born blind. He was actually blinded by Athena’s curse. Teiresias accidently saw Athena was bathing naked at the lake of Pallas. Teiresias’s mother begged Athena to undo her curse but unfortunately Athena couldn’t do so. Then, she exchange Teiresias’s eyesight with ability to understand birdsong by cleaning his ears, thus the gift of augury.

In separate episode, the reason why Teiresias became blind was different. In that episode, Teiresias was drawn into argument between Zeus and Hera. They argued which gender had more pleasure in sex. Hera said ‘man’ and Zues said ‘woman’. Teiresias who had experienced both genders answered that ‘woman’ had more pleasure in sex. It led Hera to get angry and immediately blinded Teiresias. Zeus couldn’t do anything to stop Hera but he did give Teiresias the gift of foresight and a lifespan for seven lives.

Teiresias became a blind prophet with other extra abilities such as foresight, lifespan, clear ears and gift of augury. With the abilities, he was not an ordinary blind man but he was a prophet who has knowledge. For instance, in Oedipus Rex, even though he was blind, Oedipus and people of Thebes need his help to investigate the murder of Laios. Oedipus as a king who can see and proud with his power still couldn’t solve the oracle. Teiresias was the one who told the truth in front of Oedipus’s face.

Teiresias was important in that play and he represented the idea of wisdom. He was physically blind but he was not morally blind. I think, to really understand who is Teiresias, I need to read all plays that he appeared in them. That’s the only way to help me figure out and really understand who Teiresias is.