Who were Jocasta and Laius?

Jocasta was the wife of Laius and the mother of Oedipus. She was the daughter of Menoeceus and was brought to Thebes to marry Laius. She is a character in the Oedipus plays of Sophocles.

Laius was a king of Thebes who was killed by Oedipus. He was the father of Oedipus but did not know it. Laius was warned by an oracle that his heir would kill him. He ordered that his son be killed, but the servant he ordered to kill Oedipus gave the infant to a shepherd. The shepherd brought Oedipus to Corinth where he was raised as the son of the king. When he was grown, Oedipus learned of the prophecy and left Corinth. He came to Thebes and killed Laius, not knowing he was his father.