Jocasta was a tragic character in Greek mythology who made several critical errors that led to disastrous consequences. As the wife of King Laius and mother of Oedipus, Jocasta’s main mistakes revolved around attempting to cheat fate and the prophecy that her son would kill his father and marry his mother.
Attempting to Defy the Oracle’s Prophecy
When the oracle at Delphi foretold that any son born to Jocasta and Laius would kill his father and marry his mother, Jocasta and Laius took drastic steps to try to avoid this fate. First, they pinned the newborn Oedipus’ ankles together, leaving him to die of exposure on a mountainside. This was a terrible act that showed Jocasta’s willingness to commit infanticide in order to defy the prophecy. However, Oedipus was rescued and survived, unbeknownst to his parents.
Years later, after Oedipus had grown up in another royal household, he set out to seek his fortune and unknowingly came across Laius traveling. The two quarreled over right-of-way on a bridge and Oedipus killed Laius in the confrontation, still unaware that Laius was his biological father. If Jocasta had not tried to defy fate by abandoning Oedipus as a baby, this patricide could have been avoided.
Key Errors
- Attempting to defy the oracle’s prophecy through infanticide
- Abandoning Oedipus as a baby, allowing him to be raised without knowing his true parents
Marrying Her Own Son
After Laius was killed by Oedipus, Oedipus went on to Thebes where he solved the riddle of the Sphinx and was rewarded with the hand of the newly widowed Queen Jocasta in marriage. Oedipus did not know that Jocasta was his biological mother, nor did Jocasta know that Oedipus was her long-lost son.
If Jocasta had investigated the circumstances of Laius’ death more thoroughly, she may have uncovered the truth and realized who Oedipus was before marrying him. However, she was quickly married to Oedipus to stabilize the kingdom, allowing the incestuous marriage to take place. Jocasta made the mistake of rushing into marriage while ignorant of key facts surrounding her first husband’s murder.
Key Errors
- Failing to investigate Laius’ death thoroughly before marrying Oedipus
- Marrying her own son due to ignorance of his true identity
Discounting Early Warnings
As Oedipus’ reign in Thebes progressed, troubling signs began to surface that hinted he may have been responsible for Laius’ death. A plague gripped Thebes, and the oracle said the cause was the pollution brought about by Laius’ unpunished killer still living in the city. Oedipus swore to find the killer, but Jocasta discounted the oracle and urged Oedipus not to investigate further.
Jocasta likely wanted to prevent the truth from being revealed, so she told Oedipus not to trust in oracles and prophecies. But this only delayed the inevitable revelation that Oedipus was in fact the man who had killed Laius years before. Jocasta made the mistake of ignoring the early warnings instead of uncovering the truth.
Key Errors
- Dismissing the oracle’s message about Laius’ killer
- Telling Oedipus not to investigate further into Laius’ death
Refusing to Accept the Truth
As Oedipus pressed on with his investigation into Laius’ death, Jocasta began to suspect that the prophecies may have come true after all, and that Oedipus might be her son who killed his father. But when a messenger came with the full revelation that Oedipus was adopted as a baby and was not the biological son of his supposed parents, Jocasta refused to accept it.
Even when all the evidence pointed to the fact that the oracle’s prophecy had been fulfilled, Jocasta clung to denial. She begged Oedipus to ignore the news and stop his searching. When Oedipus persisted, Jocasta became distraught and went into the palace, where she hanged herself in anguish. Jocasta made the ultimate mistake of refusing to accept the tragic truth, which drove her to suicide.
Key Errors
- Denying the truth when confronted with evidence of the fulfilled prophecy
- Begging Oedipus to stop investigating Laius’ death
- Resorting to suicide rather than accepting the tragic revelations
Conclusion
Jocasta was a tragic figure whose errors centered around vainly trying to defy fate and the oracle’s prophecy. She first tried infanticide by abandoning baby Oedipus, allowing him to unwittingly kill his father years later. She then married Oedipus in ignorance before discounting early warnings that Oedipus had killed Laius. When the full truth emerged, Jocasta went into denial and then suicide. The lesson is that trying to cheat fate only makes it come about in unexpected ways, and it is better to accept difficult truths rather than denying reality.