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Women's Influence in Oedipus the King
- The Essay: Oedipus the King
Women had little influence in affairs of state and their own lives in ancient Greece, as
evident in Sophocles Oedipus the King. Oedipus has been king of Thebes for many year
s after solving the riddle of the sphinx, but now the citizens are suffering from the
plague sent down from the gods to curse the people of Thebes and Oedipus begins to
question the situation and his own background. Jocasta is the major woman figure through
out the entire play, but she is not the only woman in the book, Jocasta and Oedipus
boor children, Antigone and Ismene that had this story impact on them.
Oedipus mother, Jocasta, who happens to also be his wife, plays a major role just as his
mother. As quoted by Sophocles, "No, please, for your sake, I want the best for
you!" showing how Jocasta looks out for here son, Oedipus and want the best for him. She
looks out for not only him, but also his feelings, evident in the quote from Sophocles
said by Jocasta, "Oedipus, tell me too, what is it, why this rage?" Jocasta would
risk here life on the line of he sons.
But she has little influence on her son Oedipus. She was trying and trying time again to
change the fate of his affairs, but cannot get through to Oedipus, and has fate stays
the same, shown in the quote from Galens and David, Jocasta, having heard their
quarrel, enters and tries to pacify them.
There is another role of Jocasta in the play, which is the role of a mother. She perhaps,
she with her womens pride may well be mortified by my birth. A quote from Brane say
ing Her passive attitude and fatalistic credo, set in striking determination to at
and thus bring relief to the plague stricken Thebes
The quote from Sophocles, "Have you no scene? Poor misguided men, such shouting..." said by
Jocasta showing how they need the guidance of a womens knowledge but, it had little
impact onto them.
Oedipus and Jocasta had children and they were forever impacted by the twists of the hist
ory behind their mother and father. Their daughters were Antigone and Ismene, As
quoted by Sophocles, "The dead spreading death and the young wives and gray haired
mothers with them cling to the altars training" as said by the chorus meaning that the
life of a mother and daughter was though and the daughters followed after there mother
like the was a line that they were to follow.
The influence of women was forever under the pressure of the enormous impact of the men
in the world. They are not remembered for their impact on the affairs of the stare and
their own lives, but only for the men they forever supported.
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