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Freud and the Oedipus Complex. By: Faith Bramer. Who was Oedipus?. Oedipus was a mythical Greek king of Thebes, Greece. He was the child of Laius and Jocasta – the original rulers of Thebes. Laius took Oedipus to the oracle (a priest/priestess who predicts the future).
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Freud and the Oedipus Complex By: Faith Bramer
Who was Oedipus? • Oedipus was a mythical Greek king of Thebes, Greece. • He was the child of Laius and Jocasta – the original rulers of Thebes. • Laius took Oedipus to the oracle (a priest/priestess who predicts the future). • The oracle told Laius that her son would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother, this resulted in Laius putting Oedipus up for adoption. • When Oedipus grew up he went to the oracle himself and was given the same news. • Oedipus didn’t go home after the oracle, he proceeded to Thebes but on the way he was faced with a carriage driver coming the opposite way. • Oedipus fought the carriage driver and ended up killing him – unwittingly the carriage driver was his birth father (Laius) and had already fulfilled half the prophecy without knowing.
Freud and the Oedipus complex • Definition: “The Oedipal complex is a term used by Sigmund Freud in his theory of psychosexual stages of development to describe a boy's feelings of desire for his mother and jealously and anger towards his father.” • Freud believes that this Oedipal complex occurs in a child’s brain between the phallic stage (ages 3-6). • The phallic stage is when a child begins to notice gender differences (physically, socially, etc) and become aware of their sexual identity. • The term was originally applied to boys but the equivalent in girls is called the ‘Electra complex’.
The id, ego, superego • The Brain is composed of three parts:-the ID-the ego-the superego • The ID is the ‘inner wild child’ and is usually being impulsive in a negative way. • The superego is completely opposite to the ID and is often philosophical and spiritual. • The ego is the mediator and often is the balancer between the two – it resembles your “grown up self”. • The ego is your conscious part of the brain, while the superego is preconscious and the ID is unconscious.
The Ego is on the top, followed by the superego, then the ID at the very bottom.
Id, ego & superego • The Oedipus complex is a very controversial subject many who believe it still effects us today while others believe there is no effect at all. • It is hard to say if it’s a “real thing” since it begins and ends in the brain at such a young age. • Some social scientists believe that the Oedipus complex is a part of the ID – that it is completely unconscious thought and can’t be controlled. • While others believe that it could be a part of the ego – being something that is controllable and only some experience it.
Relation to hamlet • The Oedipus complex is shown in the play of Hamlet through various characters. • Claudius killed King Hamlet (who was his brother) so that he could marry Gertrude, which would have been his sister in-law at the time. • This immediately shows the Oedipus complex, especially because Claudius followed through with his thoughts.
Relation to hamlet • Hamlet feels nothing but bitter and disgust over the fact that Claudius married his mother, Gertrude, in such a short time – also knowing that it’s his uncle, not just any other man. • Later on, Hamlet begins to have strong feelings towards his mothers’ sex life and eventually starts to urge her towards a life of chastity. • This shows Hamlet’s protection and attraction towards his mother and it begins to interfere with his own life with distraction.
Works cited • Britton, Ronald et al. The Oedipus Complex Today: Clinical Implications. London. Karnac Books, 1989. Print. • C, C. N.p.. Web. 26 Nov 2013. <http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977715874>. • Dolloff, L.. N.p.. Web. 26 Nov 2013. <http://www.uvm.edu/~jbailly/courses/tragedy/student second documents/Oedipus Complex.html>. • Donald W. Winnicott, . N.p., n. d. 19 Nov 2013. <http://thinkingthoughtsdotorg.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/freud-on-the-oedipus-complex/>.
Works cited • Edmunds, L.. N.p.. Web. 26 Nov 2013. <http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/GreekMyths/Oedipus/>. • Melanie Klein Trust, . N.p.. Web. 26 Nov 2013. <http://www.melanie-klein-trust.org.uk/oedipus-comple&xgt;. • “Sigmund Freud”. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November 21, 2007, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://search.eb.com/eb/article-22605.