Oidipous’s striking ability to contain the impact of his first realization will immediately put to the test by Iokaste’s description of Laios, which again goes beyond the details for which she had been asked; her first husband’s features differed “not much” from those of her second. For an audience that is aware of the family relationship between Laios and Oidipous, this comparison is horrifying. Strange, then, that while Iokaste must long since have noticed the similarity between them, she has apparently never given it any thought. Recognizing the physical similarities between her husbands, she has never allowed herself to pursue the thought that there must be a basis for the similarity and perhaps even to think that, if her infant son had lived, he might look like this man. The audience can see, however, that she and Oidipous share the trait of not connecting observable details with communication or action across divine and mortal domains. [Md] [D]