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The Odyssey · Character

Tiresias

The blind Theban prophet whose sightless eyes see further than any living man, and whom Ulysses must seek among the dead to learn the way home.

supporting

Also known as King Tiresias

First appearance: book x aeolus the lestrigonians and circ

As a supporting figure in The Odyssey, Tiresias is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

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Tiresias belongs to the underworld, a seer who keeps his prophetic power even after death and whose counsel carries the weight of fate itself. Ulysses descends to the land of the dead precisely because no living source…

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See Tiresias in book x aeolus the lestrigonians and circ

Character Web

11 connections

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

ULUlyssesCICircèCACalypsoPAPallas AthenePRProserpineTITiresias

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Circe's Island Circle
  • Protagonist
  • Mycenaean Royal Family
  • Mythological and Secondary Characters

+6 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This is the dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where Eurycleia’s recognitio…

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Who is Tiresias in The Odyssey?