Jocasta
is the queen of Thebes and wife of Oedipus. She is also Oedipus’ mother but in
her ignorance of this fact she marries him and even bears four children.
Jocasta’s
character is introduced in the play when there is a confrontation between
Oedipus and Creon in the second episode. She rebukes both men for fighting in
public and persuades them to act rationally. “You foolish men, why are you
arguing/ in such a stupid way? With our land so
sick,/aren’t you ashamed to start a private fight?”.Thus, from the
beginning she comes across as a strong woman.
Her
character is presented as that of a person who does not hesitate to shake off
the hold of traditional beliefs. She very openly expresses her disbelief in
prophecies and divine oracles “no
human being has skill in prophecy./ I’ll show you why with this example”. She says that she
has not seen any of them fulfilled, therefore she does not trust them: “So don’t concern yourself with prophecies./Whatever
gods intend to bring about/they themselves make known quite easily.” Her character is used by Sophocles to explore the theme
of the power of the oracles.
Jocasta
is not as impetuous as Oedipus is. Oedipus lets every situation control him.
Jocasta, on the other hand, appears as a person who would rather control the
situation. She reveals that she is more mature than Oedipus and even reveals a
maternal side towards him. This is evident in the way she tries to stop Oedipus
from investigating further into the mystery of his birth. At this point, she
has realized the possibility that Oedipus may be her son. She would rather let
the dreadful fact remain a mystery then let it ruin their lives.
Jocasta
is presented as a good queen, a loving wife and a highly individualistic person
yet she too has her flaws. She becomes the victim of a terrible duality. She is
a ‘mother-wife’ to Oedipus. This very duality of her situation is the cause of
her death. The entwined sheets with which she hangs herself symbolize the
double life she has led.
This
character, marked by conflict and ultimate tragedy, evokes a deep sympathy from
the audience.
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