57-59

Summary: P. 57-59
Oedipus and Jocasta converse about the messenger's news. Oedipus is determined to find out more about his own birth, but Jocasta, who has guessed that Oedipus is in indeed her son, begs him not to "hunt this out" (57). Oedipus, presented with evidence from the messenger, now thinks himself a bastard and the son of a slave. He is under the impression that Jocasta's anxiety stems from her sense of honor -- that she would not want to know if she was married to a slave's son. Because of this, he tells her to "keep up [her] heart" (57) and that reminds her that she is not of lowly lineage. Jocasta, not revealing the real reason for her worries, further attempts to dissuade him from finding out any more concerning his birth. Oedipus decides to carry on investigating the matter, and calls for the shepherd who gave him to the messenger to be brought to him. Upon hearing his decision, Jocasta flees from the room in grief, ominously crying out for the "unhappy Oedipus".

Oedipus converses with the Chorus, surmising that Jocasta is upset because "she is ashamed of [his] low birth" (58). He stands by his honor, however, by "account[ing] [him]self a child of Fortune" (58) and accepting his breeding. The Chorus praises Oedipus, appealing to gods such as Cithaeron and Apollo, hypothesizing about Oedipus' possible birth -- between a nymph and Pan, perhaps, or a son of Loxias. The shepherd enters, and Oedipus begins questioning him. The herdsman answers that he was, indeed, King Laius' faithful servant and had tended flocks all his life.

Analysis
This extract takes place just before a turning point in the novel, in which Oedipus discovers his true birth and fulfilment of the prophecy. The main purpose, therefore, is to build suspense -- this is done mainly through the use of situational and verbal irony, as well as foreshadowing.

At this point in the play, Jocasta and Oedipus have widely different perspectives on the issue: Jocasta has guessed that the situation is as prophesized, but Oedipus remains in the dark. There is, therefore, both contrast and similarity in their respective tones. Jocasta is distressed, begging Oedipus to "give o'er this quest" (57) and that Oedipus not do it "for the best" (57). She hopes that Oedipus will "never discover who [he is]" (57). Due to Oedipus' misunderstanding, he, too, speaks with urgency, repeatedly telling Jocasta that he "cannot" (57) and stating that he was "impatient" (57) of her advice. Oedipus' tone, however, consists more of intolerance than Jocasta's desperate one, expressing his misunderstanding of the situation. This, in turn, highlights the irony of the situation, in which the character with knowledge is seen as wrong by the character without, leading to the downfall of both.

Further ignorance is present in the part of the chorus, as seen in the conversation taking place between Oedipus and the chorus. In a bid to praise Oedipus, the chorus hypothesizes that his birth is somehow supernatural -- for example, that he was the son of Pan, Loxias or Bacchus. Such a comparison further provides a marked, ironic contrast with the truth, and accentuates his eventual downfall.

Foreshadowing is also present in Jocasta's speech, as her evident fear for his future, coupled with her prediction of his "unhapp[iness]" (58), gives the reader a hint of Oedipus' eventual fate. The chorus also provides some foreshadowing, by stating that "from this dead calm will burst a storm of woes" (58). This is sealed when Oedipus, not heeding Jocasta's warnings, summons the messenger. The literary device of foreshadowing is able to gemerate suspense in a plotline the reader most likely knows already, and therefore build up towards the climax of the plot.