The Role of Jocasta in Sophocle's Oedpius Tyrannos

The role of Jocasta in Oedipus Rex is a bit of a mystery. In the familial sense she acts as wife, mother, and sister, but in the context of the play, her character seems passive and almost unnecessary. She is rarely referred to by her name, Jocasta, but often by íéí, or 'her'. Only in the stage directions, those titles not read to the audience, is she called Jocasta. When Oedipus refers to her, he will call her 'my mother', or 'that womb', but never her name, and even further when others speak of her they use common nouns instead of her name. This is a constant theme regarding Jocasta, that of being referred to as a field, or harbor, that has no actual movement or contribution towards the play, but only serves as grounds for breeding and incest at the will of Oedipus and Laius.

However, I have a problem saying that she is entirely inactive; only through her can Oedipus complete his curse and she is the only one affected so deeply by the tragedy as to kill herself. But, I wonder what she actually contributes to the movement or depth of the tragedy. There is a debate as to whom, Laius or Jocasta, tied Oedipus' feet and cast him out as an infant, but even if it was Jocasta this does not require her presence in the play. Her presence does make the incestuous part of Oedipus' curse more available to the audience, but actual sex is not even mentioned as happening through the course of the play, so she does not even need to be present for the incest to have taken place, and much less for Oedipus' conception which happened so long before. I believe that the two most significant things she does is to add dramatic irony throughout Oedipus' inquiries and to kill herself.

The former is the more obvious and continuous. We see repeatedly Jocasta trying to end Oedipus' search, either because she knows and dreads the truth, or because she honestly thinks that he is driving himself crazy over a nonexistent problem. Of course there is the chance that the Greek audience understood something more revealing in this than we can, something to perhaps indicate clearly whether she knew or not. But given Sophocles' ironic and ambiguous tendencies, I think not. Either way, this creates an extra level of irony and drama within the audience. Some tragic fault in Oedipus has caused him to push so strongly for answers, whether it be simple curiosity, arrogance, or an honest desire for the truth, but despite warnings from Tiresias, the shepherd, and Jocasta, he continues. What, then, is significant about Jocasta's input? Why does she need to be in the play and interact with Oedipus? In her protests, she does not provide any new information; she simply tells him that he should leave things alone.

Actually, in the series of confrontations Oedipus has, each character reveals very important clues either to Oedipus' future or to the answers he is seeking. Tiresias tells him of his future- that he too will be blind, with many sense of the word implied, and that the fate will reveal itself despite their mortal efforts. The shepherd reveals that Oedipus was meant to die, and explains the efforts his parents took to cast him out, and then how he had saved him and passed him off to the servant. The servant reveals that Oedipus has a miserable end awaiting him- he actually tells him that if he is who he says he is, he is miserable before the Gods. He also lends a sense of false hope for Oedipus avoiding his fate, saying that his father back home has died by natural causes not involving Oedipus. This in turn compliments Jocasta's story of her own oracle and how easily and definitely they were able to prevent it. Also, among these revealing conversations Oedipus thinks of another means of salvation- the number of killers, if confirmed, will be proof that he is not the killer. These have become his only two means of hope, finding out how many murderers of Laius there were, and avoiding who he thinks is his mother back home. Though Jocasta says there were several killers, and insists that Oedipus is safe from his mother, he is still very disturbed and anxious of these things.

It seems that her actual presence throughout all of this makes everything even more ironic and tragic. Not only is Oedipus trying to make sense of his past, but he is led astray and convinced of false hopes by Jocasta, his mother, which is the very thing he is trying to sort out. Trying to run away from the second part of his curse, he runs directly to it, almost as a child would, asking for answers and comfort. And, if we see his efforts as noble as some do, then this irony and visible helplessness sparks all the more pity for Oedipus and his vain endeavors.

But, surely the point of Jocasta cannot simply be to invoke pity for Oedipus in the audience's fickle hearts. For even in scenes with Jocasta, we are given so many different impressions of Oedipus. As for myself, I find him intimidating and unstoppable when fighting and threatening Creon, even though Jocasta tries to calm him. Later, he seems noble for taking the servant's advice and asking Jocasta for information, at whatever cost to himself the answers may be. And then, when Jocasta tells him the details of Laius' death, I can almost see Oedipus' eyes widening and his heart sinking, as if all is becoming clear, and I fear for him. When we are told of his encounter with Jocasta's corpse and him blinding himself, I am somewhat in awe, in a very sickening sort of way that makes us distantly curious and at the same time turn away in disgust. Also, this is when he seems the most helpless, and I pity him. So Jocasta is not, I believe, present to determine our reactions to Oedipus, but perhaps to point them out, to make them so strongly apparent. Because, what is it that I actually feel about Oedipus? My answer changes at every scene, at every chorus, just as frustratingly as it does with Jocasta. I have such a hard time describing their characters, or even determining a constant opinion of either of them. However, I find that one of the most revealing, and emotionally pressing scenes is that when Jocasta kills herself.

Oedipus has just discovered that he has fulfilled his fate when we are told of Jocasta's offstage suicide. This is the first step in the results of the tragedy, because it is her dead body that Oedipus runs to immediately, and then blinds himself over. Then, Oedipus' daughters are introduced and Oedipus is cast out. It is interesting that Sophocles presents the last few scenes in the order that he does, so that we first see Oedipus lamenting for himself, and then over Jocasta, and then his children. So he deals with himself first, as a husband and son, and then with Jocasta as wife and mother, and then finally, with his children, he mourns as a father and a brother, and then as citizen and king as he leaves the city. In these final scenes Sophocles is able to portray every aspect of Oedipus' character and its tragedy. I'm very curious about one of these scenes in particular, which the audience does not get to see but only has described to them.

Oedipus rushes backstage to Jocasta, only to find her hanging in her room. What is going through his mind as he goes to her, does he go to her as a lover in distress, or as a son in panic over his mother? At this point all has been revealed regarding his actions, so that he is left with that sick duality of his own blurred role in his mind. When he embraces Jocasta, hanging there, is he only thinking of her womb, pitying himself and the wretchedness the gods dealt him through it? Or is he a child again, who has lost his mother and mourns for her? While I think Jocasta is very much her own person, it seems that this scene is only to emphasize the misery of Oedipus and the miserable quality of life that he has to look forward to.

Most significantly, this is the first time we see Oedipus regard Jocasta with actual feeling and emotion. Whether it be as a husband or child that he approaches her, something in the sight of her drives him to blind himself. Now, if he would blind himself over just any little thing, then Jocasta obviously would not be needed. But, since it is her suicide that led him to blind himself, and since one needs to be present to kill their self, so she was there. Oedipus somehow realizes here the extent of their relationship, and in turn the effects that it has on everybody else. Whereas before it seems that her only reason for being present is a simple need of the plot, that of a womb for Oedipus to come from and then to serve as the same one that he can 'plow' and create children in, this changes upon her death.

Here, Oedipus realizes the depth of his curse, but also his family, though in a way these are the same thing. His curse creates his family which is itself a curse to him. He realizes his position within the city, that of 'father' as he refers to himself, is over. Also, his last time with his daughters reveals a continuation of both himself and Jocasta that is both more innocent of the situation and doomed in their future. If not for his ongoing relationship with Jocasta throughout the play, and then her sudden suicide, then there would be much less the tragedy and pity felt towards Oedipus. It is her sex that makes the plot possible. It is her character that adds the most severe dramatic irony, seeing as she is the more wretched curse (of the two, as treated by the chorus) living and active throughout the play. And, it is her death that reveals Oedipus' final and most true character and allows for the resolution and ending of the play. Therefore perhaps she is not such a stale and mindless character as she is presented to us, but rather a very necessary part in the tragedy of Oedipus as each a son, husband, father, brother, and king.