Sophocles Plays \"Antigone,\" and \"Oedipus Rex.\" Comparing

¶ … Sophocles plays "Antigone," and "Oedipus Rex."

COMPARING THE SCENES

Teiresias is the blind prophet of Apollo. He appears in both plays to warn the characters of some danger, or teach them what they need to learn, through the seeings of Apollo. He is the messenger of Apollo, bringing his words to the "mortals."

He does not want to deliver his message at first, but Oedipus eggs him on, and he says, "Teiresias: That's your truth? Hear mine: I say honor the curse your own mouth spoke. From today, don't you speak to me, or to your people here. You are the plague. You ruin your own land" (Oedipus Rex, 425-430).

He delivers the message to Oedipus that he does not want to hear, that the king is his own worst enemy, and he is "the plague" of his land. Of course, Oedipus does not believe him, and accuses Kreon of sending the prophet, and wanting him dead. Then Jocasta tells him the story of sending their child away, and the murder of her husband, and Oedipus sees that it is all true.

It is not surprising that Teiresias appears in the 'Antigone.' Any important occurrence in Thebes might demand the use of prophetic power; for any such event would probably attract the attention of those gods whom the Thebans considered their own" (Braun 7).

In "Antigone," Teiresias again warns about problems in the state, and that Kreon must listen to him. "The state is sick. You and your principles are to blame. Every altar and hearth has been loaded with fodder brought by birds and dogs off him, the fallen son of Oedipus. Therefore, the gods reject our prayers and our sacrifices, and birds, feeding fat of a murdered man's blood, scream nonsense" (Antigone, 1170-1178). It is ironic that Kreon was the butt of Oedipus' wrath in "Oedipus Rex," because he urged him to listen to the prophet, and now, the prophet is warning Kreon, and he has the same reaction that Oedipus did, he does not believe the prophet, and thinks he is simply trying to make a profit. "Yes, and I say so because you love cash, all of you, prophetic profiteers!" (Antigone, 1223).

The big difference between the two scenes is that Kreon accepts the advice of his advisors, who tell him that Teiresias has never lied, and so he lets Antigone out of the cave in the mountain. However, it does not change his fate, in the end he is left alone with Ismene, in a world without love. Neither man has been able to undo the words of the prophet.