The role of Jocasta in Oedipus the King"Blessed is the man who resists temptation: for when he is tested, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised him to those who they love him." (James 1:12) Such is the proclamation contained in the Holy Bible, and so was the proclamation in ancient Greece. Since the founding of religion, the gods have sought to test those in power. Jocasta was sent by Apollo for this very reason: to test the faith and conviction of Oedipus, the king of Thebes. During the performance, Jocasta tested the beliefs of those around her by pretending not to believe in the gods themselves. Even though he put up this false façade, he kept his faith. At the beginning of the scene in which a messenger reported the news of Polybus' death and Oedipus' ascension to the throne of Corinth, we see Jocasta praying - not the act of an unbeliever at all! Once again, in the same episode, Jocasta brings garlands and incense to the altar and tries to appeal to Apollo to purify the city of Thebes. While his faith remains strong, his task from the gods is to test the faith of the gods...