Oedipus with the Sphinx
Oedipal conflict was a term coined by the commonly known father of Psychology and Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud. According to Freud, it is during the phallic stage of the psychosexual development where children from age 3 to about 6 are aware that boys have penises and girls don't. He also added that it is when the child is about 5 or 6 that they have sexual 'feelings' toward their opposite sex parent and envies the parent of the same sex. Yes, we all know that he was a little bit ... let's put it this way : he generalized his own 'feelings' to the world.
We are told by our textbook that Freud named this conflict after Oedipus who [as quoted from the Atkinson and Hilgard's Introduction to Psychology (2003)] "is based on the ancient Greek myth in which Oedipus unwittingly kills his father and marries his mother." No offense, but this definition definitely makes Oedipus sound like a incestuous pervert!
On the other hand a more appropriate definition that does not sound as perverse from the Encyclopedia of Brittanica :
"a desire for sexual involvement with the parent of the opposite sex and concomitant sense of rivalry with the parent of the same sex, a crucial stage in the normal development process. THe term derives from the Theban hero Oedipus of Greek legend who unknowingly slew his father and married his mother; it's female analogue, the Electra complex is named for another mythological figure who helped slay her mother"
So, with so much talk about Oedipus - what is his REAL story and who was he? Why did he marry his mother? Does he NOT care about incest? Did they have children? Why did he kill his father? How did he UNKNOWINGLY kill his father? What happened to him at the very end? Did he find out?
On the other hand a more appropriate definition that does not sound as perverse from the Encyclopedia of Brittanica :
"a desire for sexual involvement with the parent of the opposite sex and concomitant sense of rivalry with the parent of the same sex, a crucial stage in the normal development process. THe term derives from the Theban hero Oedipus of Greek legend who unknowingly slew his father and married his mother; it's female analogue, the Electra complex is named for another mythological figure who helped slay her mother"
So, with so much talk about Oedipus - what is his REAL story and who was he? Why did he marry his mother? Does he NOT care about incest? Did they have children? Why did he kill his father? How did he UNKNOWINGLY kill his father? What happened to him at the very end? Did he find out?
The story of Oedipus was written by Sophocles.
Legend has it that Laius the King of Thebes was warned by the oracle Delphi to not have a son after he married Jocasta because it was foretold that the son he bears is fated to kill the father. However, after a drunken stupor he had sexual intercourse with his wife who later gave birth to a son. He then remembered the prophecy and decided to get rid of his newborn son. So, he pierced his son's ankles with brooches or spikes and then gave the son to his herdsman to abandon at Mount Cithaeron.
The child was later found and was taken back to King Polybus of Corinth whose wife decided to adopt the child after healing his ankles and decided to name him Oedipus because of his swollen ankles. Oedipus grew up in Corinth but his courage caused him to be looked upon with envy and hatred by his companions. They taunted him and suggested that King Polybus was not his father due to the King's mild behavior which is a contrast to Oedipus's assertiveness. Pressed to find out who he really was and not being able to find out through the Queen, he decided to go to Delphi and ask the Oracle who his real parents are only to be told to not go back to his native land for if he does, he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother. So, having heard the prophecy he decided to obey it and because he thought he was the son of King Polybus and his wife who adopted him, he decided not to return to Corinth.
On his way back from Delphi on a narrow road, Oedipus met Laius who was on his way to Delphi to reassure himself that his son that he abandoned at the mountain was indeed dead and that the prophecies by some of his people telling him that he was about to die at the hands of his son was just a mistake. Laius's herald ordered Oedipus to give way, but because of the delay by Oedipus, the herald killed one of Oedipus's horses - enraged, Oedipus killed both the herald and Laius - thus KILLING HIS FATHER.
On his way back from Delphi on a narrow road, Oedipus met Laius who was on his way to Delphi to reassure himself that his son that he abandoned at the mountain was indeed dead and that the prophecies by some of his people telling him that he was about to die at the hands of his son was just a mistake. Laius's herald ordered Oedipus to give way, but because of the delay by Oedipus, the herald killed one of Oedipus's horses - enraged, Oedipus killed both the herald and Laius - thus KILLING HIS FATHER.
Laius's wife Jocasta's brother became the regent of Thebes, however that was also when the Sphinx appeared in Thebes and caused a lot of death and destruction in her path. The Sphinx is a creature that has the face of a woman, the body of a lion and wings of a bird. She claimed that she would end all the destruction on Thebes and kill herself if someone was to give her the right answer to her riddle. Jocasta's desperate brother suggested that the person who is able to answer the Sphinx and stop the destruction would be rewarded Thebes and his sister.
Fate had it that Oedipus was able to answer the riddle of which he assert that a child were to go on all fours when they were young, in their youth - they'd go on two and when they are old they'd go on three because of the staff that they'd be using. The Sphinx killed herself and Oedipus reigned in Thebes together with his wife Jocasta who is also his mother.
Fate had it that Oedipus was able to answer the riddle of which he assert that a child were to go on all fours when they were young, in their youth - they'd go on two and when they are old they'd go on three because of the staff that they'd be using. The Sphinx killed herself and Oedipus reigned in Thebes together with his wife Jocasta who is also his mother.
They had 4 children 2 boys and 2 girls.
After the death of King Polybus, his wife decided to reveal the circumstance of Oedipus' adoption and eventually the herdsman who was tasked to abandoned Oedipus came forth and recognized Oedipus as the son of Laius through the scars on his ankles. Oedipus devasted at finding out who he was, blinded himself and was later expelled from Thebes by his own sons after cursing them that they would divide their inheritance with a sword. Jocasta on the other hand commited suicide.
Blind Oedipus with one of his daughter Antigone
The cause of his death was never certain - some say he died of natural causes, others say he commited suicide and there are also some who believe that he died in Thebes.
So, in answer to questions posted earlier, Oedipus was not a pervert, he blinded himself at the idea of an incestuous relationship with his mother, he had 4 children with his mother and he killed his father because of a narrow road.
So, in answer to questions posted earlier, Oedipus was not a pervert, he blinded himself at the idea of an incestuous relationship with his mother, he had 4 children with his mother and he killed his father because of a narrow road.
Please note that this article was written without formatting and pictures were taken from the internet. Information on Oedipus was adapted from http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Oedipus.html.
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