Tiresias In Antigone

The play Antigone written by Sophocles has many characters who appear briefly, however, the character with most significant presence would have to be Tiresias. Despite Tiresias being a blind prophet, and unaware of the facial expressions people give him when they hear that he is blind but “sees,” he is a significant presence by telling Creon what his fate would be if he did not correct his mistakes and what his fate would hold for him if he were to refuse what Tiresias is suggesting.
Tiresias, the blind prophet, “sees.” He is significant to the development of Creon by warning others of Creon's fate. On page 10, Tiresias states “ There reflect, my son: you are poised, once more, on the razor edge of fate.” Tiresias is describing Creon as if he had with a sword pointed towards him and his heels on the edge of a cliff. Creon has the choice to go and correct his mistakes, or set “this …show more content…
The play Antigone describes how Tiresias is always prepared to give Creon any information that he wants or is in need of. In other words Tiresias freely goes to Creon, however Tiresias always seems to meet with insults and rejection. Never surprised by abuse, Tiresias does not back down when threatened. True to the gift of prophetic power, he stands unflinching before the fury of kings. His speech may be barbed, his message horrifying, but Tiresias' dedication to the truth is uncompromising. For his suffering, his piety, and his devotion to prophetic truth, Tiresias emerges as a powerful — even admirable — character in Antigone. Tiresias is a character that the audience can rely on. One may always count on him to join hand in hand, Tiresias states on page 110, “I and the boy have come together, hand in hand. Two see with the eyes of one… so the blind must go, with a guide to lead the way.” This quote describes how Tiresias is a high power but is willing to come together as one with a want to