Jocasta first becomes uncomfortable when Oedipus tells her
of his dilemma and the oracle's prophecy. However, it is when the messenger arrives with
news of the death of Polybus that the pieces really begin to come together for her.
After the messenger reveals the Polybus and Merope were not in fact Oedipus's birth
parents, her initial fear of the oracle's prediction sinks in as reality. As the
messenger tells them of the story of how Oedipus came to live with Polybus and Merope,
he tells Jocasta that she can identify the servant who had delivered the injured baby to
him. When Jocasta hears this, the truth becomes
unavoidable.
To answer the question of why the reaction and
what leads to suicide, you have to consider three things. This is a woman who gave up
her child, something which has caused her guilt and something I believe she did regret.
This is also a woman who now realizes that her son unwittingly killed his father, which
brings tremendous guilt to bear. Finally, there is the ultimate realization that she has
been living as man and wife with her son. I think this is the one realization with which
she cannot bear to live. For her, suicide is the
solution.
Sophocles is using suicide as the ultimate
sacrifice to atone for sins he felt were so grievous that there would be no way to live
with.
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