Self-inflicted harm is a drastic action executed by a troubled soul, a man so disillusioned and lost in his problems that he finds it necessary to damage himself in a physical way. Suicide, in particular, the most extreme form of self-inflicted harm, can serve as an easy method for a person in despair to quickly end his life, and thus also terminate the feelings that he possessed while he was alive. The motives behind these radical actions, however, differ from person to person. A man may take his life out of shame, fear, frustration or any other strong emotion that has claimed control of his mind and not allowed him to think clearly to assess his dilemma. Although self-inflicted harm, including several suicides, occurs in both of Sophocles' dramas, Oedipus Rex and Antigone, the motives for these actions differ in the two plays.
             In Oedipus Rex, both Oedipus and Jocasta choose to harm themselves physically. Throughout the play Jocasta pleads with Oedipus not to pursue the truth regarding his origin. Jocasta begins to unravel the mystery before Oedipus and believes that if he remains ignorant, they may be able to continue their lives in a normal manner. Unfortunately, she is not successful and Oedipus ultimately learns of his dark family history. Jocasta is so distraught that she makes the decision to commit suicide, which in her case is a very selfish choice. This selfish motivation becomes apparent when the messenger tells of her death. He says that he "heard her wail for the double fruit of her marriage/A husband by her husband, children by her child" (51). This proves that Jocasta was ashamed of her crimes, which in her culture were considered to be some of the worst misdeeds imaginable. Therefore, she decided that she could not bear the burden of living out the rest of her years in disgrace and face extreme ridicule by her peers. She avoided these unfavorable emotions and provided herself with a si...