Jocasta Research Paper
Did Jocasta really not know that the prophecy was fulfilled or did she just decide to turn a blind eye to be with her son? To Jocasta's defense, she really did believe her son had been killed as an infant. However towards the end of the play she also says "And as for this marriage with your mother- have no fear. Many a man before you, in his dreams, has shared his mother's bed (pg 171 1073-1075)." So was she just playing dumb to the idea that the prophecy had been fulfilled in order to wed her son? Or was she really unaware until it was to late to deny her creepy incestual feelings? Jocasta is a great example of thought discussed in The Poetics. You really can feel the inner turmoil she possess in her relationship with Oedipus. Thought, according to Aristotle, is said to be "the faculty of saying what is possible and pertinent in given circumstances (pg 6)." For example Jocasta is perfectly content being with Oedipus until they begin connecting the dots that Oedipus "murdered Laius...at a place where three roads meet...a place called Phocis (pg 164 line 774 - pg 168 line 947)." At the end of this exchange Jocasta says "So much for prophecy. It's either here nor there. From this day on, I wouldn't look right or left (pg 168 line 948-949)." Throughout this whole exchange the audience witnesses
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She was seemingly content with being with Oedipus until they have a conversation with the Shepherd who reinforced the reality that prophecy had come true. At this point Oedipus realizes he is frankly not okay with being wed to his mother and Jocasta runs off. Ultimately killing herself because she was unable to live with the consequences that would come from the fulfillment of the prophecy. Which leads to another example Aristotle talks about in The Poetics about spectacle. "The spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own (pg 7)." Since Jocasta's death could not be done on stage it is merely talked about
She was seemingly content with being with Oedipus until they have a conversation with the Shepherd who reinforced the reality that prophecy had come true. At this point Oedipus realizes he is frankly not okay with being wed to his mother and Jocasta runs off. Ultimately killing herself because she was unable to live with the consequences that would come from the fulfillment of the prophecy. Which leads to another example Aristotle talks about in The Poetics about spectacle. "The spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own (pg 7)." Since Jocasta's death could not be done on stage it is merely talked about