A messenger tells the chorus of the incident in the following quote: She died by her own hand cried to her husband Laius in the grave, with mention of that seed whereby he sowed death for himself, and left her a son to get her fresh children, shamefully. So wept she for her bridal's double woe husband of husband got, and child of child . And there we saw Jocasta. By a noose of swaying cords, caught and entwined, she hung. He [Oedipus] too has seen her - with a moaning cry looses the hanging trap, and on the ground has laid her. Then -oh, sight most terrible-He snatched the golden brooches from the Queen lifted them and struck. Deep to the very founds of light. Oedipus's grief over the completion of the prophecy and the suicide of Jocosta is so deep that she plunks out his eye s that he would not see the "wrongs he suffered". The shield that had protected Oedipus from the truth from the beginning was his pride. Before the palace of Thebes, when the prophet Teiresias had accused Oedipus of murdering Thebes" previous king, Laius, Oedipus" pride would not allow him to see the truth of the prophet's words, which is evident in this quote: Teiresias: Thou seekest, and thou art, the murderer! Oedipus: A second time that slander! You shall rule it! Teiresias: Shall I add more to make thee rage the more Oedipus: Add the all you will. Say on. Tis" wasted breath (PG 66) When Oedipus is accused of the crime by Teiresias, he is blinded from the truth by his pride, which would not allow him to believe that he may have killed Laius and caused harm to fall on Thebes. Oedipus would rather believe that Ceron and Teiresias are trying to discredit him so that Ceron could have the throne, instead of listening to the truth from the prophet. Both the fall of Oedipus" shield of pride and the moment of enlightenment occur at the same time when Oedipus is questioning the hardsman at the altars before the royal palace at Thebes: Hardsman: If you are the child he saith, no man is more unfortunate.
