The role of Jocasta in Oedipus the King is crucial....

The role of Jocasta in Oedipus the King is crucial. Jocasta sees the reality of the situation before Oedipus and the chorus do. The prophecies made themselves known long ago, and Jocasta believed that they would come true. Jocasta did have faith in the oracles, but only enough faith to suit her own purpose. She worked to suppress much of the faith Oedipus had in them, in the interest of keeping the city, herself, and Oedipus in a powerful yet strong position. Jocastas role in the story influenced Oedipus to think back to Laius death and begin to try to solve the Sphinxs riddle. Jocasta explains that an oracle called for her husbands death to be at the hand of his own son. Seeing that thieves evidently killed the king, Oedipus as the†¦show more content†¦Running away gave Oedipus the ability to avoid the oracle. Oedipus avoiding his prophecy, and Jocasta and Laius avoiding theirs, enabled Jocasta to convinced herself that chance ruled their lives, not prophecies. In Oedipus t he King, it seems as though chance is a motif. King Laius was said to be killed at three crossroads. When Oedipus ran from Corinth, he admitted to killing a man who caused conflict along the way. The chance this could be the same man is very slim; the two stories did not match up. Jocasta demands Oedipus tell her what he is thinking when he is trying to solve the kings murder. It crosses Oedipus mind that he could be the killer, however; guilt left him in strong defense when he tells Jocasta, I cannot be the killer. One cant equal many (Sophocles, 934). This foreshadowing shows a possible suspect, and Oedipus guilty conscience. The witnesses to the death recall multiple thieves being resent, and also that the murder took place at the three crossroads. The Greek goddess of the crossroads, Hecate, was said to have three heads. Each head looked down a different path – one saw the past, one the present, and one the future. Though Hecate isnt mentioned in the play, perhaps the thr ee-way crossroads in Oedipus the King has a similar symbolism. (www.shmmoop.com). The three crossroads relate to Jocasta in that she has determines Oedipus fate from when he wasShow MoreRelatedOedipus Data Sheet2569 Words   |  11 Pages Major Works Data Sheet Oedipus the King Title: ________________________________ Sophicles Author: ______________________________ Date of Publication: ____________________ Around 450 BC Tragic Drama/Theater Genre: _______________________________ Historical information about the setting The work was written around 450 BC, a time of high Greek culture where literature and drama were placed at the forefront of society. Sophocles was a key player in this movement, and his playsRead MoreAntigone : A Portrait Of Ancient Greece2905 Words   |  12 Pagesproduction of tragedies, Ancient Greece often employed the use of drama and conflict to illustrate tales relevant to the society at the time. The playwright Sophocles is a prime example of this. In his tragedy Antigone, Sophocles tackles issues such as the role of the gods, the proper behavior of women, and the power of a leader. These motifs not only add value to the narrative, but offer the reader a glimpse of the state of Greek society of the time. Artifacts such as the ones found at the Penn Museum of