Clearly doubting the sincerity of Oidipous’s humility Teiresias responds with sarcasm, asking if Oidipous is not testing the strength of his words (έκπειρᾷ λόγων) by pushing them to the breaking point. This sarcasm seems aimed at Oidipous’s use of μάθω (“learn”), for the idea that Oidipous wishes to learn by being properly instructed strikes Teiresias as being so far out of alignment with the actual state of affairs as to threaten to break the conventional bonds of discourse; Oidipous frequently, even continually, speaks the truth without recognizing it and so without the capacity to learn from it. He has sought the aid of prophecy without thoroughly respecting it. His expression of humility, rather than satisfying Teiresias, seems only further to provoke his scorn. Teiresias is after all human. Indeed, he seems torn by the predicament into which Oidipous’s change of approach and tone have thrown him. Until this moment even Teiresias has seemed unaware of the doubling of semantic fields. Clearly, however, he has possessed the insight necessary to hear the irony in each of Oidipous’s statements. His determination not to answer Oidipous’s question was bolstered by the tension between what Oidipous meant to say and what his words meant in relation to the truth. The god’s speech heard flowing from Oidipous’s mouth may have reminded Teiresias that he need not say a word. Now that Oidipous seems sincerely to request the seer’s help, no double entendre can be heard, and consequently Teiresias seems unable further to bear up against his pleas. It seems that if Oidipous will only reassure him that he is not playing verbal games, Teiresias will tell Oidipous what there is to know. Hoping and believing that he is in fact sincere, the audience will both pity and admire Oidipous even as his continued faith in his own objectivity, impartiality, and good will render palpable his onrushing doom. He is not, however, thoroughly sympathetic, because his impatience suggests that he might not have been responsible for so much suffering if he had not been so certain and so adamant. [Md] [P] [Mip]