Final answer:
Jocasta, the mother and wife of Oedipus, killed herself after realizing the incestuous relationship. This tragic event occurs in the play 'Oedipus Rex' by Sophocles. Jocasta's death underscores the themes of fate, morality, and unintended consequences in Greek tragedy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Who Killed Themselves Due to an Incestuous Relationship?
In the context of Greek tragedy, the individual who killed herself after realizing the incestuous relationship had taken place is Jocasta. This event occurs in the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, where Jocasta is horrified upon discovering that she has married her son, Oedipus, and borne him children. Upon this gruesome realization, Jocasta takes her own life, a fate echoed in the play Antigone, wherein the eponymous character also faces a tragic end.
The incestuous relationship occurred unknowingly between Oedipus and Jocasta. Oedipus had been prophesied to kill his father and marry his mother, which he unknowingly fulfils. The discovery of the incest leads Jocasta to her demise. Similarly, in Antigone, Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, defies King Creon by burying her brother Polyneices. She ultimately takes her life while imprisoned for her actions, although her demise is not directly connected to the incest.
The tragic events surrounding Oedipus, Jocasta, and their family members are quintessential examples of the themes of fate, free will, and the consequences of unintended actions in Greek tragedy. Sophocles used these themes to weave stories that still resonate today with their explorations of human nature and morality.