Oedipus the King – The WomenCharles Segal in Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge explains the protagonist's concern regarding the burial of Jocasta in Oedipus the King by Sophocles: Oedipus turns from his desolation and total degradation to something of his former air of command, albeit in a chastened and softened tone. He asks Creon to expel him from Thebes as quickly as possible and gives the order to bury Jocasta (1446ff), a gesture of concern and responsibility characteristic of the Oedipus that we saw in the opening scenes (73 ).Oedipus' attitude towards Jocasta in death – is it like in life? This essay will answer the previous question and many other questions regarding the women in Oedipus Rex. Michael J. O'Brien, in the Introduction to Twentieth-Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, argues that there is "much evidence to support this view" that the fifth-century playwright was "the educator of his people” and a “teacher”. Sophocles, in his tragedy Oedipus Rex, teaches "morally desirable attitudes and behaviors" (4) and uses three women to help convey these life principles. At the beginning of Oedipus Rex, no female character is present; the reader sees a king coming to the door full of curiosity: “Explain your mood and what you claim. Is it the fear of evil that moves you or a godsend that you dream of? When the priest responded that the people were in despair from the effects of the plague, the king showed sympathy for his subjects: "You are all sick, well, what do I know, but my pain, whatever yours , surpasses everything. » Thomas Van Nortwick in Oedipus: The Meaning of a Man's Life: "We already see in Oedipus supreme self-confidence and ease of command. . ...... middle of paper ......s of the Antigone. In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. Segal, Charles. Oedipus Tyrannus: tragic heroism and the limits of knowledge. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Trans. by F. Storr. no pag.http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi “Sophocles” in Western literature World , edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1984. Van Nortwick, Thomas. Oedipus: the meaning of a masculine life. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1998. Watling, E.F. Introduction. In Sophocles: The Theban Plays, translated by EF Watling. New York: books about penguins, 1974.