As he tries to compel Teiresias to communicate at his bidding, Oidipous ignores the fact that Teiresias speaks only at the god’s bidding. Oidipous fails even to consider that the seer’s decision to speak or not might depend upon his relationship to the god. In his belief that he can compel the seer to speak, Oidipous again, as at the play’s opening, usurps the god, but now it is clear that this is folly. [P] [Mea] [Md]