Despite the unrecogizned pertinence to herself of Oidipous’s concern about incest, Iokaste continues to draw comfort from the news of Polybos’s death. Given the enmormity of the calamity about to befall her, her reassurances are pathetically insufficient. Her wish to provide comfort befits both wife and mother, but the fact that she is in part responsible for Laios’ death, was willing to let her infant die of exposure, and has been celebrating her victory over prophecy and thus the god, her impulse to comfort seems monstrous. That she urges her husband to take comfort in his father’s death only underscores the inadequacy both of her present counsel and her past actions. [Md] [P]