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Self-inflicted harm is a drastic action executed by a troubled soul, a man so disillusioned and lost in his problems that he finds it necessary to damage himself in a physical way. Suicide, in particular, the most extreme form of self-inflicted harm, can serve as an easy method for a person in despair to quickly end his life, and thus also terminate the feelings that he possessed while he was alive. The motives behind these …

…e reasoning for these harsh actions, however, is quite different in the two plays. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus and Jocasta choose actions that free them from facing the consequences of their crimes, therefore being selfish choices. The characters who commit suicide in Antigone, on the other hand, do so in fits of grief and, in the case of Antigone, hopelessness. They do not fear repercussions and retribution because they did not commit any sinful crimes.