Reimagining Jacosta's Actions: A Study of Oedipus Rex's Tragedy

This essay provides a detailed analysis of Jacosta's character and role in Sophocles' Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex. It explores the complexities of her actions, motivations, and the tragic consequences that unfold. The essay examines the impact of fate, guilt, and potential alternative scenarios where Jacosta's actions could have altered the play's outcome. It analyzes Jacosta's internal conflicts, her relationship with Oedipus, and the implications of her choices on the play's themes. Furthermore, the essay considers a hypothetical rewrite of a scene, discussing how a different attitude from Jacosta could have changed the narrative and explored different literary devices. Finally, it reflects on the play's ending and the fate of Oedipus's daughters, concluding that while the original play effectively portrays the tragic doom of Oedipus, alternative perspectives provide opportunities for further literary exploration.

RUNNING HEAD: LITERATURE
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The scene:
The Greek Tragedy, Oedipus Rex has been noted for its complicacy of plot and the great tragic
fall of Oedipus, the king. The tragic play was centered on the tragedy of fate. Apart from the
protagonist himself, the penalty of faith was also given by Jacosta, the female protagonist in the
play, who was Oedipus’ mother and unknowingly was married to him. The story took a tragic
turn in the climax when it was slowly revealed that the prophecy actually occurred in reality, it
was Jacosta who came to knew about it beforehand than Oedipus and thus begs to him not to
question him further. However, with the increase of the guilt feeling within her own self, she
finally committed suicide by hanging her. If the scene was re written with a different attitude
showcased by Jacosta, it would have so happened that the sense of guilt will be replaced by the
sense of curiosity to know the truth. Instead of forbidding Oedipus for going in search of his real
parents, she may have asked him to do so. The outcome in such case would have been the same
though there are possibilities that a sense of vengeance would have taken place in the mind of
Jacosta since, ultimately it was not her fault of marrying his own son.
Analysis:
Throughout the play it was shown that Jacosta was the only person who did not feared the
chance of the prophesy to be coming true. On the of chance, it was always showed that he was
more positive in her beliefs. It cannot be said that she was sacrilegious for in the play there are
also evidences that she used to offer sacrifices and Paryers to Apollo. On one hand while she had
a spousal feeling for Oedipus, on the other, she was conscious enough to have a motherly
affection of protecting innocence. It may, thus so happen that she herself could have urged on to
Oedipus to search about the truth so that she is exempted of the guilt of telling it by her own.

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Again, since she was not at a fault for her husband’s death or for marrying his son, the sense of
guilt could be turned in a sense of revenge as well. And thus, instead of committing suicide, she
could have killed Oedipus. Greek tragedy has the basic feature of having done anything wrong
unknowingly by the protagonist and the great fall was often due to the fate and not because of the
protagonist’s own fault. This action of jacosta could have turned down the nature of Greek
Tragedy since she could at least try to avenge the wrongs that were done upon her.
Another notable aspect for this action could be the ensuring of safety and security of their
daughters. In the play it was shown that the daughters were sent under the supervision of their
uncle Creon. If Jacosta survived, she could have ensured a better safety for their daughters’
future. the scene, if re written in such manner will demonstrate the following things:
1. As shown in the drama, Oedipus generated a sense of hatred towards jacosta in the last
scene since he thought that Jacosta deliberately hid the reality from him. If Jacosta urged
him to find the reality herself, Oedipus may not hold her responsible for hiding the truth.
2. Throughout the play, Jacosta has been shown to have possessed a strong sense of faith
towards God Apollo. When she realized the true identity of Oedipus, it was a sense- an
ominous sense without any proof. Her believing in her realization is a strong indicator
that for the particular moment her belief, her strong faith on God has been shifted. He
scene written in the other way would have been more convincing in portraying her faith
on God.
3. The play ended with Creon taking the responsibility of the two daughters of Oedipus and
Jacosta and ascending the throne- assuming all the power. If Jacosta was still alive, either
she would have also been sent for exile for her shameful incest or she would have been
put to death for murdering Oedipus out of vengeance. The outcome would then have been

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same for the daughters of Oedipus and Jacosta. They are, in either of the cases, wil be
destined to have a life under the uncertain guidance of Creon.
In conclusion it can be said that, the drama could have generated a variety of angle and points of
further exploration of literary devices if written in any other way. However, the original play has
the best capacity of portraying the tragic doom of the great man Oedipus.

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