Why does jocasta marry oedipus

It's important to note that though Jocasta is critical of prophecy, she isn't necessarily sacrilegious. In fact, within the play we see her praying to the god Apollo, making offerings, and asking for his protection. No other character, besides the Chorus, goes as far. In a way you could see her as one of the more pious characters onstage.

Not that it does her any good. It seems that it isn't the gods themselves that Jocasta is skeptical of, but instead their supposed servants—men like Teiresias. Jocasta realizes before Oedipus that he is her son, and that they have committed incest. When she hangs herself with bed sheets, it is symbolic of her despair over her incestuous actions.

Interestingly, Jocasta plays both a spousal and maternal role to Oedipus. She loves Oedipus romantically, but like a parent, she wishes to protect Oedipus' innocence from the knowledge of their relationship:.

With that last word I leave thee, henceforth silent evermore. Like Oedipus, Jocasta commits most of her "sins" in ignorance. Users questions. Why did Jocasta marry Oedipus? How did Jocasta not know Oedipus was her son? What caused Jocasta to realize that Oedipus was her child? What does Oedipus do when he finds Jocasta dead? Did Oedipus know he killed his father? He travelled through Greece and came into the vicinity of Thebes.

At a crossroads he met a man Laius in chariot with whom he fell out on the question of right of way. He killed the man not knowing that Laius was his own father along with all his companions except one who escaped. Outside the city of Thebes he met the monster, the Sphinx, who gave every Theban who happened to pass by a riddle to solve, and if he could not she ate him up. Oedipus salved the riddle, and the Sphinx leaped from the Mount Phicium and killed herself.