In Sophocles' play "Oedipus Rex," Jocasta is the queen of Thebes and the wife of Oedipus. Despite her high social standing, Jocasta is not a major character in the play, but she does have a few notable quotes that reveal important themes and character traits.
One of the most significant quotes from Jocasta comes when she is trying to reassure Oedipus that he is not the killer of King Laius, as he has been warned by a prophecy. Jocasta says, "Many a man has shared a mother's bed, / And still not known the truth of his own birth" (Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, lines 627-628). This quote highlights Jocasta's belief that the prophecies of the gods are not always accurate, and that it is possible for someone to be completely unaware of their own true parentage. This foreshadows the revelation that Oedipus is, in fact, the killer of Laius and the son of Jocasta and Laius, despite his ignorance of these facts.
Another notable quote from Jocasta is when she is trying to persuade Oedipus to abandon his search for the truth about Laius' killer. She says, "What good can truth do, when truth brings only pain?" (Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, line 730). This quote reveals Jocasta's fear of the consequences of the truth being revealed, as she knows that it will bring pain and suffering to Oedipus and herself. However, this quote also highlights the theme of the importance of truth in the play, as Oedipus ultimately decides to pursue the truth despite the pain it will bring.
Finally, Jocasta's final words in the play reveal her despair and desperation in the face of the revelation of the truth about her and Oedipus' relationship. She says, "No longer will I live, no longer see the pain / That fills this land" (Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, lines 1377-1378). These words show Jocasta's hopelessness and her decision to take her own life rather than face the consequences of the truth.
Overall, Jocasta's quotes in "Oedipus Rex" reveal her skepticism of the accuracy of prophecies, her fear of the consequences of the truth being revealed, and her despair in the face of the ultimate revelation of the truth. Despite her limited role in the play, Jocasta's words contribute to the themes and character development of the play.
Examples Of Jocasta In Oedipus
Creon, Oedipus' brother-in-law, reports that the oracles instruct Oedipus to find the murderer of the previous king, Laius. In many Greek stories, it is the duty of humans to listen to the gods. It was she who sustained Oedipus, when he was in the deep agony of doubt. That her husband dies at the very place Oedipus kills someone is what upsets Oedipus about Jocasta's story of Laius' death in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles 495 B. It is certain such a person will get his just rewards in the end, and it proves to be right. He also accuses Creon, the person who brought Teiresias, for planning this perplexing scene in an attempt to undermine Oedipus.
Character Analysis of Jocasta in Oedipus Rex
On the other hand, Cocteau's characters speak colloquially, and his 96 pages cover 17 years, putting much more emphasis on the events prior to where Sophocles begins his play. Where the murderous event takes place is the detail of Jocasta's story that troubles Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles 495 B. Much like Oedipus, Jocasta is guilty of hubris, or attempting to defy the gods. Now, all Oedipus can see is "darkness, like a shroud. Jocasta always exercised a sobering influence upon her husband. The play begins with the citizens begging the king, Oedipus, to lift the plague that befalls Thebes. If the mother knows she will be unable to give it a life worth living.
Oedipus The King Jocasta Quotes
It is a clue that he is Laius's killer, but he does not yet realize just how pertinent this clue is. This is my last and only word to you For ever! Jocasta and Laius, her first husband, receive a prophecy that their son will grow up to kill Laius. Theme in Oedipus Rex. Of course, neither the citizens of Thebes nor Oedipus himself realize that he is the reason for the curse on the city. Sophocles' audience was familiar with the tragic hero Oedipus' background: that he unknowingly killed his father, King Laius, and married his mother, Jocasta. To Jocasta, this means that Laius was not killed by his son and, thus, that prophecies are useless. Jocasta, a loving mother as she was, entrusted the infant to a servant with the specific charge that he should be exposed on a mountain so that he might die.
Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Rex: Quotes & Examples
Oedipus believes that he is the son of Polybus, not knowing that King Laios of Thebes, the man he murdered, is his actual father. Who are the parents of the baby boy in Oedipus Rex? A highly controversial topic is abortion, and if it should or should not be legal. He didn't know he would kill his father marry his mom and have children with his Blindness In Sophocles 'Oedipus The King' Oedipus a blind man, but realizes his truth and reveals his honesty at the end of his journey. She tries to convince Oedipus not to worry about what Tiresias says. As all Greek tragedies do, it features a tragic hero. To her surprise, she'll soon discover what God wants them to know, and what we already know, that the oracles' prophecies were right.
