The Oedipus Complex is a psychological attachment and physical attraction felt to the parent of the opposite sex, as well as envy and aggression directed toward the parent of the same sex. This was derived from Oedipus Rex by Sigmund Freud. Typically, this is said to be true in Oedipus Rex because Oedipus kills his father, and then marries and conceives children with his mother (Dolloff). I, personally, disagree with this theory. Oedipus was abandoned as a child by Liaus and Jocasta of Thebes three days after his birth because it was prophesied that he would kill Liaus and defile Jocasta. Oedipus was then eventually adopted by the King and Queen of Corinth. When he grew up, Oedipus went to the oracle at Delphi, who informed him of the prophecy, but happened to leave out the fact that Lauis and Jocasta were his biological parents. Disgusted by the prophecy, Oedipus left Corinth. Unbeknownst to him, he headed for his birthplace. On the road he encountered a man, and killed him, once again not knowing he was fulfilling the prophecy. When he arrived at Thebes, he defeated the Sphinx, and was named king and give Jocasta, his biological mother, as a wife. Therefore, Oedipus
cannot truly fit the complex because he had no desire to have sexual relations with his mother and eliminate his father; rather, he did so on accident (Rubin). Furthermore, Oedipus fulfilled the prophecy by deliberately trying not too, and this struggle to avoid and create one's one fate is a major them throughout the play.
Dolloff, Lauren. "The Oedipus Complex." The University of Vermont, 16 Nov. 2006. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uvm.edu%2F~jbailly%2Fcourses%2Ftragedy%2Fstudent%2520second%2520documents%2FOedipus%2520Complex.html>.
Rubin, Jeffrey B. "The Art of Flourishing." The Real Oedipal Complex. Psychology Today, 1 May 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-art-flourishing/201205/the-real-oedipal-complex>.
