This excerpt is from Scene III of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and begins right after Oedipus finds out he may not be Polybus’ son. Iocaste is trying to convince Oedipus to forget about finding his true lineage. Iocaste is trying to keep Oedipus from knowing the now obvious truth while Oedipus continues to be ignorant of what the facts point to. Iocaste is the heroine of Oedipus Rex because although she knows what Oedipus has done, she decides that she would rather live with the secret than see her son and husband be cast away and humiliated. But, as she is trying to convince Oedipus to forget about the whole matter, Oedipus is too selfish to let go which ruins Iocaste’s attempts to save him. Through this excerpt we can see the characteristics
…show more content…
Her call to adventure was when she and King __ received a prophecy from the Oracle at Delphi. At this point she receives a helper, the shepherd, who helps her with her first test. But before starting her first test she crosses a mental threshold. Iocaste has to give up her son in order to save her husband, which is a big step for anyone to do. By doing this Iocaste shows her strength and willingness to do what she thinks is right, which is the “pain(7)” Iocaste mentions to Oedipus. Iocaste first test is giving baby Oedipus up, her second test is marrying Oedipus. Iocaste’s nadir is keeping Oedipus and Thebes from the prophecy for a while. If Oedipus understood the signs Iocaste gave and didn’t just assume “the Queen, like a woman, is perhaps ashamed/To think of my low origin(28-29)” Thebes may have saved from every knowing the prophecy was fulfilled. The other mental threshold that Iocaste has to cross is realizing there is nothing she can do to keep Oedipus from knowing the truth since he insists that “the truth must be made known(12).” Although Oedipus is not saved from knowing his fate was fulfilled, Iocaste was able to save him and Thebes for a while, which is her elixir for the world. Her elixir is that Oedipus and Thebes are saved for a while because of her
Her call to adventure was when she and King __ received a prophecy from the Oracle at Delphi. At this point she receives a helper, the shepherd, who helps her with her first test. But before starting her first test she crosses a mental threshold. Iocaste has to give up her son in order to save her husband, which is a big step for anyone to do. By doing this Iocaste shows her strength and willingness to do what she thinks is right, which is the “pain(7)” Iocaste mentions to Oedipus. Iocaste first test is giving baby Oedipus up, her second test is marrying Oedipus. Iocaste’s nadir is keeping Oedipus and Thebes from the prophecy for a while. If Oedipus understood the signs Iocaste gave and didn’t just assume “the Queen, like a woman, is perhaps ashamed/To think of my low origin(28-29)” Thebes may have saved from every knowing the prophecy was fulfilled. The other mental threshold that Iocaste has to cross is realizing there is nothing she can do to keep Oedipus from knowing the truth since he insists that “the truth must be made known(12).” Although Oedipus is not saved from knowing his fate was fulfilled, Iocaste was able to save him and Thebes for a while, which is her elixir for the world. Her elixir is that Oedipus and Thebes are saved for a while because of her