Despite the numerous attempts that King Laius, Queen Jocasta and Oedipus himself make to cheat fate, the truth reveals itself and destroys those who find themselves in its path: Queen Jocasta he commits suicide and Oedipus blinds himself. Both are very serious and irreversible actions that act as a form of catharsis, or purification of strong or repressed emotions, and that arouse pity and fear not only among the characters, but also among the audience. The choices that Jocasta and Oedipus make reflect a lot on their characters. Jocasta commits suicide because she fears living with her actions, while Oedipus blinds himself because he fears being able to physically see when previously his sight was no longer useful. Yet, Oedipus chooses to live, saying, “Since you do not escape me, I know you well; / Even though all is dark, I can still hear your voice” (Sophocles 1381-2). The catharsis of emotions, as described by Sophocles, follows the fifth and final component: "with which to achieve a catharsis of these emotions”