Teiresias means one who “cries the signs of heavens”. He is being blessed to know “Secrets of Heaven and secrets of the earth”. Being well known as a famous blind prophet in Greek mythology, Teiresias is physically blind because according to Greek mythology he is being blinded for seeing Athene, Goddess of Wisdom naked while she bathes. He is called seer because he is given talent to foretell what will happen in the future. He can tell the truth about what will happen to Oedipus in “Oedipus Rex.” After he is being pushed to the limit by Oedipus, he tells the truth that is Oedipus is the murderer of King Laios. He is not mentally blind as he is given insight to know all the secrets. The character of Teiresias is important in Oedipus Rex as it foreshadows Oedipus’s situation at the end of the play. In my opinion, Teiresias is just a normal human being but he is different from the rest of the people in the city as he is being blessed with insight. In Oedipus Rex, he does not want to reveal the truth but after Oedipus forces him to do so, he had no choice.
