In the play, Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald, Jocasta’s , Oedipus’ mother, past events from leaving Oedipus, The King of Thebes, to die with the Shepherd, of Laius, affected her present activities, personally and negatively because she commits a sin through her marriage with her son, has children with him, and her attempts to avoid the prophecy. Considering that Sophocles purposefully made the tone tragic, it enhances the emotional aspects from Jocasta’s actions from the past that influences the present.In the scene where Oedipus and Jocasta discuss about his prophecy, Jocasta believes she has avoided the prophecy saying, “-it was my child that died first” (I, 2, 811). This quote helps to remind the
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Continuing with Oedipus’ search for the truth, he and Jocasta receive news of Polybus, King of Corinth, Jocasta estatically says, “Yes this news of your father’s death is wonderful” (II, 3, 937). The tone of this quote attempts to lighten the atmosphere, however, it only makes it even more tragic because the reader is continuously being reminded of the dramatic irony being …show more content…
Eventually, Jocasta met her fate as the Second Messenger states, “Exactly how she died I do not know:” (II, 4, 1202). This part of the chapter where Jocasta commits suicide, indicates a more devastating end because of the very little details that the passage provides, causing the reader to imagine how she ends her life to fill in blanks that are missing. These missing details allow the reader to realize the amount of grief weighing upon her shoulder, where her fate becomes so morbid to the point where the play cannot provide details depicting her death as it is up to the reader to visualize how she takes her life away, adding more tragedy to the play. After Jocasta’s death, her children are left and Oedipus says to his daughters, “What homes, what festivals can you attend?” (II, 4, 1432). In the quote, Oedipus’ daughters have done nothing yet, they must share the burden of their father’s sins because they’ve originated from his mother and himself. Jocasta’s actions not only affects herself, but it also affects her children, and they must suffer for those sins which makes the reader assume that tragedy will also be with them as
Continuing with Oedipus’ search for the truth, he and Jocasta receive news of Polybus, King of Corinth, Jocasta estatically says, “Yes this news of your father’s death is wonderful” (II, 3, 937). The tone of this quote attempts to lighten the atmosphere, however, it only makes it even more tragic because the reader is continuously being reminded of the dramatic irony being …show more content…
Eventually, Jocasta met her fate as the Second Messenger states, “Exactly how she died I do not know:” (II, 4, 1202). This part of the chapter where Jocasta commits suicide, indicates a more devastating end because of the very little details that the passage provides, causing the reader to imagine how she ends her life to fill in blanks that are missing. These missing details allow the reader to realize the amount of grief weighing upon her shoulder, where her fate becomes so morbid to the point where the play cannot provide details depicting her death as it is up to the reader to visualize how she takes her life away, adding more tragedy to the play. After Jocasta’s death, her children are left and Oedipus says to his daughters, “What homes, what festivals can you attend?” (II, 4, 1432). In the quote, Oedipus’ daughters have done nothing yet, they must share the burden of their father’s sins because they’ve originated from his mother and himself. Jocasta’s actions not only affects herself, but it also affects her children, and they must suffer for those sins which makes the reader assume that tragedy will also be with them as