Oedipus Complex Analysis
The most common theory for the actions of Oedipus in his story is the Oedipus complex, theorized by Freud. In the story Oedipus, it was his fate to marry his mother and have children with her, and kill his father. The Oedipus complex says that this must happen at a young age. However, this complex doesn’t apply to Oedipus, because of the different circumstances in which these actions occurred.
Freud’s theory on the Oedipus complex is that it is the childhood desire to sleep with the mother and kill the father. He says that in Sophocles’ play, Oedipus exhibits a stages in which the child desires the mother because of the connection through birth and infancy, and resents (even desires the murder of) the father. According to Freud, boys …show more content…
First, when Oedipus was young, he consulted the oracle of Delphi. He was informed that he was fated to “be the murdered of the father that begot me” and “lie in his mother's bed.” (Sophocles 923-925) In his efforts, he was “rudely accosted on the road from Delphi to Thebes by the herald of a man in a carriage.” (“The Real”, paragraph 5) Oedipus fled Corinth to escape his prophecy, and “the infamies told in that dreadful oracle” (Sophocles 930) In other words, Oedipus tried to protect his parents, not sleep with his mother and kill his father purposely. Oedipus felt very guilty for his actions, and said, “may I be gone out of men’s sight before I see the deadly taint of this disaster come upon me.” (Sophocles 963-965) The facts that Freud purposefully ignored is that Oedipus Rex began with parental aggression and abandonment, not incest between Oedipus and Jocasta. Also, Oedipus tried to protect his parents and “avoid the very fate Freud attributed to him” (“The Real”, paragraph 7) As proven by reading Oedipus, Freud’s theory on the Oedipus complex was incorrect, and shouldn’t be trusted. It doesn’t apply to Oedipus because of the circumstances, in which he was actually trying to escape his fate rather than fulfill
Freud’s theory on the Oedipus complex is that it is the childhood desire to sleep with the mother and kill the father. He says that in Sophocles’ play, Oedipus exhibits a stages in which the child desires the mother because of the connection through birth and infancy, and resents (even desires the murder of) the father. According to Freud, boys …show more content…
First, when Oedipus was young, he consulted the oracle of Delphi. He was informed that he was fated to “be the murdered of the father that begot me” and “lie in his mother's bed.” (Sophocles 923-925) In his efforts, he was “rudely accosted on the road from Delphi to Thebes by the herald of a man in a carriage.” (“The Real”, paragraph 5) Oedipus fled Corinth to escape his prophecy, and “the infamies told in that dreadful oracle” (Sophocles 930) In other words, Oedipus tried to protect his parents, not sleep with his mother and kill his father purposely. Oedipus felt very guilty for his actions, and said, “may I be gone out of men’s sight before I see the deadly taint of this disaster come upon me.” (Sophocles 963-965) The facts that Freud purposefully ignored is that Oedipus Rex began with parental aggression and abandonment, not incest between Oedipus and Jocasta. Also, Oedipus tried to protect his parents and “avoid the very fate Freud attributed to him” (“The Real”, paragraph 7) As proven by reading Oedipus, Freud’s theory on the Oedipus complex was incorrect, and shouldn’t be trusted. It doesn’t apply to Oedipus because of the circumstances, in which he was actually trying to escape his fate rather than fulfill