Vocabulary
What is the word for how a character is represented in literature - how we know what they are like.
Characterization
Who is Tiresias? Tell us something physical and mental about him?
He is a blind prophet.
Why does Oedipus summon Tiresias in Oedipus the King?
To ask who murdered King Laius
Why is there dramatic irony in Oedipus the King?
The audience knows Oedipus’s fate before he does
What is the word for sad or depressed?
Melancoly
How did Tiresias become a woman, according to myth?
He saw two snakes fighting and they turned him into a woman.
Why is Oedipus angered by Tiresias during their conversation?
Tiresias refuses to explain who murdered Laius
How does Tiresias’s blindness contribute to the dramatic irony?
He is blind but can still “see” the truth
What is the word for constant, unchanging, unmoving?
Implacable
How was Tiresias turned back into a man?
He saw the same pair of snakes again seven years later.
What shocking accusation does Tiresias finally make?
Oedipus is the murderer of Laius.
Why does Oedipus mock Tiresias?
He thinks Tiresias is lying to protect Laius’s killer
What is the word for rudeness?
Insolence
Why was Tiresias blinded, according to one legend?
Athena became angry with him for watching her bathe.
What confusing prophecy does Tiresias give about the murderer’s identity?
He will be both brother and father to his children
Why is it ironic that Oedipus once solved the riddle of the Sphinx?
It's ironic because he can't solve Tiresias's riddles now.
What is the word for a sad, mournful song?
A dirge
What power did Athena give Tiresias in place of his sight?
The power to see the future
What does Oedipus’s reaction to Tiresias reveal about his character?
He is arrogant and only wants information that supports his beliefs
How does Oedipus interpret Tiresias’s words?
He thinks it is a conspiracy against him.