Jocasta was, unknowingly, at the center of a tragic prophecy: her destiny was to lose her husband at the hands of her own son, Oedipus, and then marry and go to bed with him same son. Jocasta is dynamic and adds drama and intrigue to a story that has been read and performed for centuries. She is a noble queen, her husband's eldest, and expresses confidence in what she believes, whether it be the character of her brother in question, or Oedipus' fears. Although she died by her own hand, her death also had meaning and importance to the rest of the play. Even though Jocasta is not the protagonist of this play, she is at the center of the shameful prophecy; without her, it wouldn't exist