Teiresias suggests that, if he were to answer Oidipous’s question, he would share in Oidipous’s κακά–his “faults,” “evils,” “ills,” “misfortunes,” or even “misdeeds.” Rather than setting himself apart from Oidipous it would appear that he is now regarding both in one and the same light. Either he is ignoring the horrific deeds that set Oidipous apart from all other men or he equates them with his own. What, then, might be Teiresias’s faults? At present, he would consider himself to be at fault for revealing information that Oidipous is illdisposed to receive. Might Teiresias also have past faults? If he does, what else might they be than his failure to avert catastrophe from Laios, Iokaste, and Thebes? Teiresias appears in fact to be frustrated in the knowledge that his insight might once again prove useless. Where Oidipous has just argued that nothing is more wonderful than to benefit from one’s gifts and powers, Teiresias appears to be aware that nothing is more terrible than to have no benefit of them. Perhaps these are the κακά that Teiresias wishes not to incur. If so, the failure of which he is afraid stems not from his refusal to reveal the knowledge of which he is in possession, but rather from Oidipous’s predictable refusal to accept them. This again raises the issue for the audience, how the recipient of a distasteful prophecy is to respond so as to obtain benefit from it. [Mi] [Md] [Mpe]