Q.15. At what point of the story does Jocasta realize that Oedipus is her son who killed his father Laius?

Ans. When Jocasta observes that Oedipus is too much troubled by the accusation of Teiresias as that he was leiller ofhis own father, she tries to alleviate his worries by saying that prophets are often wrong. As an example, she mentions the prophecy about Laius that he would be killed by his son, but actually he was killed by bandits at a place where three roads met. But at this revelation Oedipus is still more disturbed; he remembers he killed a man at such a place, along with his companions of which only one escaped. He tells this story to Jocasta. Jocasta’s stoiy coincides with his, and he asks about the man who escaped. Jocasta says that that man came back to Thebes, but when he found Oedipus ruling there, he asked permission to retire to the countryside as shepherd.
Oedipus tells her to send for the man. He is afraid that the man he killed was Laius, and regards himself as the foulest of mortals. Sometime later a messenger from Corinth arrives with the news that Polybus is dead, and Corinthians invite Oedipus to be their king. Jocasta is overjàyed, because she thinks that the prophecy that Polybus will be killed by his son (supposed) Oedipus is proved false. But Oedipus is still worried that the other half of the prophecy — that he will marry his mother — remains. So far he knows that Polybus was his father, and Merope his mother. But the messenger tells him that he need not fear because Merope is not his own mother. Then he tells the story — many years ago he was given a baby by a shepherd from the household of Laius, etc. This child is Oedipus. Oedipus asks the elders if anyone knew the shepherd from the household of Laius. They say it is the very servant that has been sent for.
Meanwhile Jocasta has put all the bits of evidence into place, and is terrified by the result — that Oedipus is her own son.

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