Who is Tiresias? What events have led up to him being summoned and what has done to anger Oedipus

The first 200 words of this essay...

Classical Civilization (Tragedy) Context Question.

(a) Who is Tiresias? What events have led up to him being summoned and what has done to anger Oedipus?

(b) This passage contains references to sight and blindness. Analyse in detail how Sophocles uses these themes in the passage. What dramatic effect do these references have?

(c) Describe how Oedipus is portrayed in this passage. Compare this portrayal with his portrayal in the rest of the play. In your answer, you should consider his actions and the way he talk to other characters.

ANSWERS

(a) Tiresias is an important character in the play. This is because he is physically blind but is still mentally sighted. "Blind as you are, you can feel all the more what sickness haunts our city" He is a highly respectable prophet in the play. " Master of the mysteries of our life" He serves as a means of communication between the gods and the people of Thebes, as he interprets the omens sent to people by the gods.

(ii) Oedipus, as a dedicated leader, has decided to root out the cause of the plague, which has been affecting the people of