Why does the herdsman hesitate to speak the truth to Oedipus?

Why does the herdsman hesitate to speak the truth to Oedipus?

Why does the herdsman hesitate to speak the truth to Oedipus? He wants to shield Oedipus from the awful truth. Which of the following best expresses the motive for Jocasta’s suicide? What do oedipus’s reactions to the truth and to Jocasta’s suicide reveal about his character?

Why doesn’t the herdsman want to tell Oedipus what he knows?

Why doesn’t the herdsman want to tell Oedipus what he knows? The herdsman is reluctant to speak and doesn’t want to tell Oedipus the truth in fear of what Oedipus might do.

Why does the shepherd refuse to provide information to Oedipus?

The reason for this is that King Laius, after hearing the prophecy of what Oedipus would do, commanded him to expose the child. However, he did not comply, because he felt compassion for the baby.

How does Oedipus react to the information Tiresias gives him?

Tiresias is blind but can see the truth; Oedipus has his sight but cannot. Oedipus claims that he longs to know the truth; Tiresias says that seeing the truth only brings one pain. When Tiresias arrives at line 340, Oedipus praises him as an all-powerful seer who has shielded Thebes from many a plague.

Why does the herdsman pretend not to know the messenger?

what physical proof proved that Oedipus was the baby left on the mountain? why did the herdsman pretend not to remember the messenger who he gave Oedipus to? bc he didn’t want to bring up the truth that he knew. what does everyone who knows the truth have in common?

Why did Oedipus threaten the shepherd?

Why does Oedipus threaten to torture the Shepherd? The shepherd won’t tell him anything.

How are both Oedipus and Jocasta guilty of pride?

By attempting to escape the prophecy dictated by the gods, he ends up fulfilling it. In doing so, Oedipus becomes guilty of hubris as he tries to overcome his human limitations and rescind the prophecy. Like Oedipus, Jocasta is guilty of pride and hubris in her attempt to alter fate and later deny it at various points.

Why does Jocasta tell Oedipus about her baby?

The child was from the palace of Laius and he was told to get rid of it by Jocasta. This is because of the prophecy that they boy would kill his father. The messenger fears that revealing the horrible truth will cause Oedipus to kill him.

How did Jocasta find out the truth about Oedipus?

Jocasta realizes the truth—that Oedipus is her son as well as her husband—and tells Oedipus to stop the interrogations. He doesn’t listen, and an eyewitness, the Herdsman who rescued him when he was an infant, confirms that he was Laius and Jocasta’s child, and that Oedipus killed Laius.

What happens to Oedipus when he hears the prophecy?

Oedipus arrives, hears the messenger’s news, and rejoices with Jocasta; king and queen concur that prophecies are worthless and the world is ruled by chance. However, Oedipus still fears the part of the prophecy that said he would sleep with his mother.

Why did Oedipus fear sleeping with his mother?

However, Oedipus still fears the part of the prophecy that said he would sleep with his mother. The messenger says he can rid himself of that worry, because Polybus and his wife, Merope, are not really Oedipus’s natural parents. The messenger explains that he used to be a shepherd years ago.

Who is the blind king in Oedipus the king?

But in Oedipus the King, Tiresias also serves an additional role—his blindness augments the dramatic irony that governs the play. Tiresias is blind but can see the truth; Oedipus has his sight but cannot.