WELCOM

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 OEDIPUS REX

VISION & OCCULT

KNOWLEDGE :
BLINDNESS MOTIF &
TIRESIUS
 The Tiresius Myth
• Main Source : Bibliotheca
• Tiresias hit copulating snakes with his stick 
• Hera punished him : transformed Tiresias into a woman
• After 7 years, Tiresias regained his masculinity.
• Tiresius : Experience of both sexes
• Tiresias' pronouncements : always given in short maxims :
often cryptic, but never wrong
• Like most oracles / riddles, he is extremely reluctant to offer
the whole of what he sees in his visions.
 Tiresius’ Blindness
• 3 versions
• A) Blinded by the gods : revealing their secrets.
• B) Blinded by Athena : seeing her bathing naked
• C) Hera-Zeus debate : struck blind for impiety
• Zeus in recompense gave Tiresias the gift of foresight,
and a lifespan of seven lives.
• He understood the language of birds and could read the
future from indications in a fire or smoke. 
• Tiresias : a liminal figure, between humankind and the
gods, male and female, blind and seeing, present and
future, this world and the Underworld
 Tiresius in Oedipus Rex
• Tiresius : Blind, Old & holds the Young boy
• Between Tiresius (Old age) and the Boy (Youth),
Oedipus stands strongly in his mid-day
• The structure of 3 :
• PAST / PRESENT / FUTURE
• OLDNESS / MIDDLE AGE / YOUTH
• MORNING / DAY / TWILIGHT
• WALKING ON 3 LEGS : WITH A STICK
• 3 GENERATIONS : LAIUS-OEDIPUS-CHILDREN
• CHILDHOOD-GLORY-DEVASTATION
 Structure of Three contd.
• Oedipus’ Sight – Blind Tiresius – Oedipus’ Blinding
• External Vision – External Blindness – Inner Vision
• 4 legs (crawling) – 2 legs (standing) – 3 legs (stick)
• The threefold journey of the Tragic Hero :
 FROM PROSPERITY TO MISERY
 FROM INNOCENCE TO EXPERIENCE
 FROM IGNORANCE TO KNOWLEDGE
• Looking at – Seeing – Seeing ‘into’
 The Blindness Motif
• Tiresius is visually blind; but with the third eye
• The Principle of 3 maintained : Tiresius’ Third
Eye & his knowledge of the 3 pillars of Time
• His blindness is only external : it both hides and
testifies his Inner Vision
• Self-blinding of Oedipus : testimony to Vision :
Literal blindness vs. Metaphorical Blindness
• Extinction of his outer vision all the more
reinforces his lack of inner vision
• Blinding : lighting of Inner vision – the Third Eye
 Occult Knowledge
• There are more things in heaven and earth
• Mysteries & miracles : beyond logical perception
• Extra-natural logic : beyond human perception
• Knowledge from Life, & Occult Knowledge too
• Suffering : hidden, dangerous & painful knowledge
• All knowledge is not for human consumption
• All truths are not pleasant, better not known
• Truth, and Knowledge, the twin eye-openers
Thank You