Jocasta acts as the voice of reason to Oedipus. She tries to convince him that everything that he is worried about is ridiculous, and provides him with explanations to convince him that he is overreacting. She presents a sensible point of view to Oedipus. However, when the truth about Oedipus' birth is revealed, Jocasta becomes frantic. She tries to cover it up before Oedipus realizes, but once he does, she goes completely mad. She cannot bear the agony of living in this state, married to her son.
Oedipus and Creon, on the other hand, seem more rash and likely to act on their emotions before acting rationally. Oedipus especially tends to act on his initial feelings. Once he finds out the truth, however, he is upset, but he is more prepared to accept it than Jocasta is. Ultimately, Sophocles portrays women as sensible, yet unable to stand shock, and men as rash and easily angered, but also more resistant to shock and extreme stress. Another role of Jocasta's character is to describe how Oedipus sees his wife not simply as an object, but as an equal.
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I agree with where you're coming from for the most part. I think Sophocles is saying that women could be sensible but at the slightest shock become unreasonable. Also with men i agree with you. Maybe Sophocles is suggesting that men without women or vice versa would not be able to function because they require each other to reach the balance needed.
ReplyDeleteExcellent entry on gender differences- the stereotypes given to men and women are really brought to life with Oedipus and Jocasta.I also think it's interesting how differently our two characters handle the situation: one kills herself out of grief, and the other is appalled, yet curious, and wants to verify what he has just heard.
ReplyDeleteI really like your thoughts about gender differences. Your ideas about what Sophocles thinks about women really seem to fit with what is happening in the story right. I like how you mentioned that Jocasta is an equal as well. Oedipus seems to believe her attempts to convince him otherwise, but his own determination and drive end up bringing his own downfall yet again. These aspects of his character all seem to be what are hurting him in general.
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