Why does tiresias refuse to tell oedipus the truth

Wiki User. Because it is treasonous to criticize a king and because Oedipus has a violent temper and must see for himself that the evidence is true are the reasons why Teiresias hesitates to tell Oedipus the truth about his identity in " Oedipus Rex " by Sophocles B.

Specifically, Teiresias the blind prophet knows that his sovereign, Theban King Oedipus, is a criminal and an immoralist. But at the same time, Oedipus is beloved by his family and his people. What with Oedipus' violent temper, no wonder Teiresias hesitates to say what Oedipus needs to see, process and accept on his own. He does not want to tell Oedipus the painful truth. Specifically, Teiresias the blind prophet announces that Theban King Oedipus is King Laius' killer, Oedipus behaves very badly upon hearing the charge.

Teiresias then spells it out that Oedipus will be destroyed before the day's end by the knowledge of his true identity and of the truth behind his role model personal happiness and professional success. Teiresias is the blind wise man, he is thought to have been working with Creon, that is why Oedipus does not believe him.

Oedipus murdered the former king of Thebes. Teiresias is reluctant to share what he knows. In fact, the truth may end up getting him charged with treason. That serious charge and undoubtedly the knowledge of Oedipus' quick temper keep the blind seer from saying what he knows to be true. It's only after considerable bullying, insulting and threatening from Oedipus that Teiresias relents.

His hesitation is due to his knowledge of Oedipus as a father killer, a king killer, and an incestuous sex offender. That he is Laius' murderer and that he is not the role model that everyone considers him is what Teiresias tells Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles B. He cautions that this is not the only disturbing revelation that Oedipus will receive within the day's passing. He says that Oedipus' knowledge of who he really is and what he really does will destroy him.

That he is reckless and stubborn are what his confrontations with Creon and Teiresias tell us about Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles B. Specifically, Theban King Oedipus does not like the interpretation of events that he gets from his royal advisor, Teiresias the blind prophet.

Teiresias' treasonous charges can lead to Oedipus' overthrow and exile or execution. But Oedipus acts groundlessly, recklessly and stubbornly. He accuses Teiresias of conspiring with Creon, Oedipus' brother-in-law and royal colleague, and refuses to back down despite spirited but reasonable defenses from two people whom he has known his entire time in Thebes. Teiresias spoke these words; he is reluctant to tell Oedipus the painful truth. Oedipus cannot remember ever meeting Laius.

He decides that Teiresias as his royal advisor and Creon as his royal colleague have the most to gain in grabbing all royal powers to themselves. He flings groundless charges of treasonous conspiracy at both Teiresias and Creon. It is after Creon hears the charges and leaves that Oedipus updates his wife, Queen Jocasta, on the situation. Specifically, Teiresias the blind prophet says that King Oedipus is the killer of the immediately preceding Theban sovereign, Laius. Oedipus cannot believe himself to be the killer of someone whom he never remembers meeting.

In response to Oedipus' insults and threats, Teiresias finally says that Oedipus is the killer of his own father, the husband of his father's wife and the half-brother of his own children. Specifically, Teiresias has held down the job of advisor to the king and prophet of Thebes ever since the city's founding four generations before Oedipus' birth.

He knows all, through a combination of divinely given knowledge and through skilled reading of ritual sacrifices. But he can tell all only upon the request of the reigning king. That is why he sits on his knowledge of Oedipus' misdeeds until sent for. Specifically, Theban King Oedipus is reckless in his overreactions to what he dislikes.

He hears Teiresias accuse him of a murder that he does not remember committing. He gets back by claiming groundlessly and insultingly that he is being framed so that Teiresias and Creon can grab all the royal powers for themselves. Because the truth will bring nothing but pain. The reason lies in what Creon and Teiresias the blind prophet previously tell him. Creon says that Thebes is suffering from a pestilence that only go away with the identification and punishment by execution or exile of the killer or killers of Theban King Laius.

Then Teiresias identifies Oedipus as the killer. Albeit unknowingly, Oedipus is the killer of Laius, his father and his king. With the revelation of that crime will come that of another. Oedipus is married to his own mother, Theban Queen Jocasta. The realization of the indecent truth behind the apparent royal marital bliss is something that Oedipus won't accept lightly. He has a quick temper, and speaks before he thinks.

Teiresias knows his monarch very well, and therefore is reluctant to be the bearer of such news. Tiresias doubts Oedipus because Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is the murderer of Laius. He says that after Oedipus insults Tiresias's blindness. Tiresias then mocks how Oedipus doesn't even know his true father and mother.

This leads Oedipus to doubt Tiresias. Because the truth will bring nothing but pain. Oedipus is outraged at Tiresias' prophecy. He thinks Tiresias is lying to him and was "put up" to telling him that by Creon. Oedipus is so furious with Tiresias, that in the process he pushes Tiresias into making another prophecy more of a premonition that Oedipus will be blind.

Oedipus sends for Tiresias because he wants information on the murder of Laius. Tiresias is blind, but he is a prophet well-known for his for clairvoyance skills.

When Oedipus asks the blind prophet Tiresias who killed the previous king Laius, Tiresias states that he knows but wishes he didn't. Oedipus furiously accuses Tiresias of the murder of Oedipus'own father , Laius - whom, of course Oedipus actually killed unknowingly. The blind prophet Tiresias who is called by Oedipus to reveal who killed King Laius. When he is hesitant to do so however as the killer is Oedipus, Oedipus jumpsto conclusions assuming that it is he Tiresias who murdered Laius.

Oedipus accuses Creon of bribing Tiresias in an effort to take the crown. Tiresias tells Oedipus he is the murderer of Laius. Oedipus doesn't believe Tiresias, even when Tiresias spells the truth out to him; he calls him a liar and claims that he is in league with Creon for the throne. His name was Tiresias. In Greek mythology, he 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. He finds that Tiresias is saying that he is the murderer of Lauis and has a deeper darer past that he will find out about. He accuses Oedipus directly, but Oedipus, in denial, believes he has been bribed by Oedipus' political enemies. Tiresias, the blind prophet. The son of Laius, Oedipus. Tiresias is a Roman name itself.

Tiresias was the name of the blind prophet of Thebes, who forecast that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother. They fought over who had the right to go first and Oedipus killed Laius when the charioteer tried to run him over.

When Teiresias tells Oedipus that he is the killer that he seeks, Oedipus tells him in line "You have no truth, you're blind. Blind in your eyes. When Oedipus summons Tiresias to tell him what is plaguing the city and Tiresias tells him that he is the problem, Oedipus accuses Creon of conspiring against him. Creon argues that he does not want to rule and would , therefore, have no incentive to overthrow Oedipus.

Jocasta realizes the whole truth , but does not reveal her knowledge. He describes the despair of Jocasta , and how Oedipus, after discovering that Jocasta had hanged herself, gouged out his own eyes. The messenger says that Oedipus intends to exile himself from Thebes, but wants first to face the citizens Desperate to avoid this terrible fate, Oedipus , who still believes that Polybus and Merope are his true parents, leaves Corinth for the city of Thebes.

Thus, Laius is slain by his own son, and the prophecy that the king had sought to avoid by exposing Oedipus at birth is fulfilled. Prior to the start of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus has become the king of Thebes while unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father, Laius the previous king , and marry his mother, Jocasta whom Oedipus took as his queen after solving the riddle of the Sphinx.

However, when the truth is revealed about Jocasta, and Oedipus requests to be exiled, it is Creon who grants his wish and takes the throne in his stead. In the version of Sophocles, when his city was struck by a plague, Oedipus learned that it was divine punishment for his patricide and incest.

Hearing this news, Jocasta hanged herself. Oedipus , in Greek mythology, the king of Thebes who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother. Homer related that Oedipus's wife and mother hanged herself when the truth of their relationship became known, though Oedipus apparently continued to rule at Thebes until his death.