of the play Tiresias prophecies that both Oedipus and Jocasta have tried to escape And he will turn out to be the brother of the children in his house their father too both at once and the husband and the son of the very woman who gave birth to him Symbolism of Sight and Blindness Tiresias's blindness deviates from his prophetic sight He symbolizes the discrepancy between physical sight and true insight Oedipus possessing physical sight remains blind to his identity and destiny He emphasizes the play's thematic exploration of perception versus reality Tiresias says You have your eyesight and you do not see how miserable you are The Conflict between Fate and Free Will As a messenger of fate Tiresias prophesies Oedipus's destined path and highlights the inevitability of fate Oedipus's pursuit of truth and his tries to defy the prophecy ironically lead him closer to fulfilling it He illustrates the struggle between free will and an inescapable destiny Hubris and Tragic Flaw Oedipus's arrogance and disbelief in Tiresias's revelations showcase his tragic flaw of hubris His refusal to accept the truth aggravates the tragedy He leads to his downfall as his pride blinds him to the reality of his situation Plot Progression and Dramatic Tension The encounter marks a turning point in the narrative It moves the plot forward by exposing hidden truths and initiating a chain of events It glorifies the dramatic tension by heightening the conflict between Oedipus's quest for truth and his ignorance of the truth about himself Oedipus says O light let me look at you one final time a man who stands revealed as cursed by birth Now Oedipus knows he has fulfilled the prophecy he tried to escape years before the same prophecy Jocasta tried to avoid Oedipus also realizes Jocasta tried to kill her child Foreshadowing and Irony Tiresias's warnings and prophecies serve as foreshadowing elements It hints at the impending tragic fate of Oedipus The irony lies in Oedipus's determined pursuit of truth while being oblivious to the truth of his identity Character Development and Exploration Both Oedipus and Tiresias experience significant development through the encounter Oedipus's initial doubt and Tiresias's unwillingness to reveal the truth add layers to their characters Oedipus finally knows he is the main criminal and should rectify his crime That is why he blinds himself He says Why should I have eyes when there was nothing sweet for me to see In termination the encounter between Oedipus and Tiresias is a critical turning point in the play It marks the beginning of Oedipus's tragic downfall and the revelation of his tragic fate It emphasizes themes of fate blindness and the limits of human knowledge and adds depth to exploring the human condition and the inexorable force of destiny