Oedipus Rex · Character

Teiresias

The blind Theban prophet, dragged reluctantly before Oedipus, who knows the answer to the king's question and dreads saying it aloud.

supporting

Also known as lord Teiresias, Oedipus Teiresias, Teiresias Thou, Teiresias Not Creon

First appearance: oedipus rex

As a supporting figure in Oedipus Rex, Teiresias is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Listed as a character in the dramatis personae.

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Teiresias is the seer whose sight outlives his eyes, the one man in Thebes who can name the pollution the oracle demands be expelled. Summoned by Oedipus to help track Laius's killer, he resists — he would rather go home than speak — and when pressed he tells the king plainly that the murderer he seeks is standing in the palace. His refusal to flatter, and his willingness to accuse the most powerful man in the city, make him the play's first crack in Oedipus's certainty.

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The fuller portrait of Teiresias sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Teiresias in oedipus rex

Character Web

6 connections

A slice of how Teiresias sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Background and Catalysts
Truth Revealers and Seekers
Protagonist

+1 more in the full Character Web

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Relationships

Creon
professional · negative
Creon seeks Teiresias's prophetic counsel, but their interactions are marked by tension… How this plays out →
Oedipus
rivalry · negative
Apollo
professional · positive
Creon
professional · negative
Creon seeks Teiresias's prophetic counsel, but their interactions are marked by tension… How this plays out →
Oedipus
rivalry · negative
Apollo
professional · positive

Creon
Creon seeks Teiresias's prophetic counsel, but their interactions are marked by tension and mutual distrust regarding the truth about Laius's murder.
Oedipus
Oedipus and Teiresias are antagonists, with Oedipus angrily rejecting the prophet's accusations and Teiresias stubbornly revealing the painful truth.
Apollo
Apollo is the god who grants Teiresias his prophetic powers, and Teiresias serves as Apollo's mouthpiece in revealing the truth to Thebes.
Creon
Creon seeks Teiresias's prophetic counsel, but their interactions are marked by tension and mutual distrust regarding the truth about Laius's murder.
Oedipus
Oedipus and Teiresias are antagonists, with Oedipus angrily rejecting the prophet's accusations and Teiresias stubbornly revealing the painful truth.
Apollo
Apollo is the god who grants Teiresias his prophetic powers, and Teiresias serves as Apollo's mouthpiece in revealing the truth to Thebes.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Teiresias in oedipus rex

In the story

Teiresias appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Dramatis Personae

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Teiresias unlock in the free preview.

See Teiresias in oedipus rex

See Teiresias in Dramatis Personae