Tiresias

This haunting line is delivered by Tiresias, the blind prophet of Apollo, in response to Oedipus's urgent demands for information about the murder of King Laius. Tiresias arrives already weighed down by the horrifying truth of Oedipus's identity and fate, and he initially hesitates to speak because he knows that revealing the truth will only lead to destruction. When Oedipus aggressively confronts him — accusing him of being involved in the murder — Tiresias expresses this sorrow before being compelled to reveal what he knows.

Thematically, this line stands out as one of the most impactful in Greek tragedy. It captures the play's central paradox: Oedipus's unyielding quest for knowledge, which once made him a hero (by solving the Sphinx's riddle), ultimately leads to his downfall. Tiresias's words act as a foreboding warning to the audience, who are already familiar with the myth, that the truth here is not freeing but devastating. The quote also highlights the philosophical conflict between ignorance and enlightenment — implying that some truths, once uncovered, are impossible to bear. It foreshadows Oedipus's self-blinding, a physical manifestation of the unbearable reality he comes to confront.

This thunderous accusation comes from the blind prophet Tiresias to Oedipus, King of Thebes, during their tense confrontation in the early part of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Oedipus has called upon Tiresias to help uncover the murderer of the former king Laius, whose unsolved murder has led to a plague in Thebes. When Tiresias initially refuses to speak, Oedipus insults and provokes him, which leads the prophet to reveal the shocking truth: Oedipus is the killer he seeks. This moment is thematically crucial for several reasons. First, it highlights the play's central irony — the investigator and the guilty party are one and the same. Second, it introduces the motif of blindness versus sight: the physically blind Tiresias sees the truth clearly, while the sighted Oedipus remains spiritually and intellectually blind to his own identity. Third, it sets Oedipus on his tragic path of self-discovery, reflecting Sophocles' deeper exploration of fate, free will, and the limits of human understanding. The audience, already familiar with the myth, experiences dramatic irony as Oedipus vehemently denies a truth that will ultimately lead to his downfall.

This anguished line is spoken by Tiresias, the blind prophet of Thebes, early in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Summoned by Oedipus to identify King Laius's murderer, Tiresias arrives weighed down by the dreadful truth he knows. He initially hesitates to speak, and when Oedipus pressures him—going so far as to insult him—Tiresias expresses his sorrow before eventually revealing the truth. The irony here is profound: Tiresias is physically blind yet possesses genuine prophetic insight, while Oedipus can see with his eyes but is completely unaware of his own identity and guilt. This line captures one of the play's key themes—the curse of knowledge. When wisdom cannot change fate or prevent suffering, it becomes more of a burden than a blessing. It also hints at Oedipus's own path: he doggedly seeks the truth about Laius's killer, only to find that this knowledge ultimately leads to his ruin. Sophocles uses Tiresias's words to challenge the notion of whether our desire to know is always a good thing, suggesting that sometimes, not knowing can be a form of mercy.

This line is delivered by Tiresias, the blind prophet of Thebes, during a charged encounter with Oedipus in the early scenes of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Oedipus has called Tiresias to disclose the identity of King Laius's murderer, but when Tiresias hesitates and ultimately refuses to reveal anything, Oedipus becomes enraged and accuses him of being involved. Tiresias counters with this sharp remark, urging Oedipus to be open to truths he hasn’t grasped yet — and perhaps prefers to avoid.

The line carries a deep irony. Oedipus, hailed as the smartest man for solving the Sphinx's riddle, is exactly the person who struggles the most to accept new knowledge. His pride (hubris) obscures him from the very insight that could save him. Tiresias — who is blind in body yet possesses clear vision in spirit — illustrates the paradox at the core of the play: true wisdom demands humility rather than intellectual superiority. This quote foreshadows Oedipus’s tragic fall and encapsulates Sophocles's main theme: the peril of arrogance when confronted with divine truth. It also highlights the prophet's role as a moral balance to royal authority.