Iocasta

Two key characters that drove the plot of tragic plays were those of female gender. Past actions of Iocasta in “Oedipus Rex” and Gertrude in “Hamlet” were some of the main ingredients that initiated the tragic nature of the play. This all led to the unfortunate demise of themselves and many important characters. It is interesting to note the importance of both these woman during the play, though the periods in which they were written saw minimum to no use of the female form. Both these women are mothers of the main characters, which allows for the past decisions and sections to hold sever consequences. Their numerous deeds of selfish acts in their past set forth the theme guilt which consumes and devours them both.
Past actions of both these

characters set in motion the emotional, mental and physical changes of their son. Faced with the prophecy that her lover, King Lauis would be killed by their son and that she would lay in incest with him provided the reason her action Thus leading to Iocasta’s decision to help King Laius dispose of her son, which began the cruel destiny that would face Oedipus. She knowingly helped in the near murder of Oedipus as he was left with wounded ankles and abandon the harsh mountains. Her selfish decision along with that of Husband, King Lauis provided the opportunity for the proclamation of the prophecy to bear into fruition as time developed. The action of Gertrude in “Hamlet” negatively impacted her son Hamlet due to how quickly she moved on from her grief f Old Hamlet’s death. Hamlet saw this as a betrayal from his mother as result it further pushed Hamlet into his madness and deeper into the abyss. With Gertrude now with Claudius, Hamlet’ uncle he begins to see women as weak and destructive creatures; this attitude unfuntaely would lead to the death of his lover.
Both Iocasta and Gertrude are major players in the conflict that drives both of their sons, main characters to oppose them throughout the play. In Iocasta’ case her conflict between herself and Oedipus lies in the fact that she does not want him to discover his true identity, since it would awaken the deep skeleton wrenched in her past. For Oedipus to know f her past would only shame her and Oedipus himself. Gertrude’s conflict with Hamlet lays in the fact that she so easily in Hamlet eyes laid with Claudius even before her tears can dry upon her face. With this comes the conflict of disapproval and anger which Hamlet holds against his mother through her perceived betrayal act against his father. His distrust of her leads to him disowning women, from his mother o his lover. Both these female characters play major roles in affecting f the main characters development throughout the play due to the conflict between their sons.
The conflict and past actions committed by these two characters help in the demise of both the main characters of the “Oedipus Rex” and “Hamlet”.

In “Oedipus Rex” by trying to Hold Oedipus from learning the truth about him, many accusatory fingers were pointed to those were closet and honorable of him. In this Creon was made to have conspired against with the help of the blind messenger, called Tearisas. This leads to him further annilated himself from reason and forced into more stubborn reasoning. With this by his own words he unkowingky ban himself to returning to These since he was the murderer that killed his own father. The more Iocasta pushed Oedipus from learning his true identity, the more Oedipus seeked to know. Because of her selfish act of the past she unknowingly pushes him further and further in learning his true self, due to his stubborn and unrelenting nature. Gertrude on the other leads Hamlet into his demise in a different manner. By hastily joining in bed with Claudius, Gertude has allowed for Hamlet to lose respect for and women. With this attitude of scorn against women Hamlet causes the death of Ophelia indirectly with his speech and decision that he never loved her. All of this came from his disgust from his mother’s past and present doings with the current King. Both Iocasta and Gertrude past decisions led to the demise of others directly and

indirectly.
Both Iocasta and Gertrude shared the faith of having their Husband murdered and taken away from them. With the twist of faith both of these women then unknowingly remarried to the very men that murdered the person they cared about. Iocasta’s Husband Laius was murdered by Oedipus on a three path road as he was with servants during travel. Unknowingly to Oedipus he murdered his father and fulfilled the very prophecy that he tried to escape. This event was sent in motion by the role of Iocasta and helping of Lauis in the past. Gertrude Husband Old Hamlet was murdered by his own brother through poisoning. Claudius the King’s own brother saw and took advantage to take hold of the throne and her. Unlike Iocasta, Gertrude’s husband was killed in premeditated manner in a devious plot. It is ironic that these two women would end up sharing the same bed with the men that took away from them their previous partner.
With this comes the development of inappropriate sexual contact between the two main characters. It can be noted that they both share dealings in the art of incest behvoir. For Iocasta the thing she feared took place. She thus fulfills the prophecy of sexual dealings with her own son, Oedipus. This is due to the point that she even bore him children, thus making her both wife and mother to Oedipus. Unlike Iocasta, Gertrude knowingly performed incest with her Husband brother. Even though they are both not related t blood directly, they still were close with each other’s dealings. Incest in another form can be seen with Hamlet due to his constant obsession with his mother’s action in bed. Both Iocasta and Gertrude are dealing with incest behaviors.
With all these intertwined of the sexually web After the discovery of the truth, Jocasta tries to prevent Oedipus from learning the truth, though he pays no attention to her. A little later we learn that she has hanged herself in her fit of sorrow and grief. She was seen calling upon her dead husband, Laius, remembering the son to whom she had given birth long before, the son who had killed his father, the son who became her husband and begot children by her. The end which Jocasta meets was the only right end for a woman in her position. It is an appropriate end for her, and this end contributes to the effect of catharsis which this play produces in full measure. From the very beginning of her entrance into mythology, it is clear that decisions and other events beyond her control leave Jocasta feeling guilty. Later, after Oedipus unknowingly killed his own father and married Jacosta (and fathered children through her), she took her own life. The accounts of writers such as Homer, Statius, and others vary concerning what was the final cause of Jacosta's decision, but all sources agree that this noble but perhaps misguided woman eventually committed suicide to ease her guilt for her role in the degradation of her family and city. In the Shakespearean tragedy "Hamlet," Prince Hamlet's mother Gertrude encounters many misfortunes, which she feels that she is to blame for. Gertrude was brought into the middle of everybody's dilemmas and thus felt responsible for the occurrences that happened to all of the significant characters throughout the play. She allows her emotions to build up in an unhealthy manner and this leads to her eventual death