What is the concept behind the Oedipus complex?

The Oedipus Complex goes back to the Greek tale of Oedipus Rex, in which the title character kills his father and marries his mother. The complex is a psychological theory that explains how children are more likely to be attracted to their parent of the opposite sex (i.e. boys love their mothers and girls love their fathers). I believe it was created by Sigmund Freud in order to help explain sexuality.

Another Perspective

I agree that the story of Oedipus Rex is the source of the "Oedipus Complex", but there is a bit of a different slant than this. (I don't remember that he killed his father or married his mother.) The complex capitalizes on the forbidden sex between a mother and her son. Even in the time of Oedipus, that was a forbidden love/sex. Freud may have enhanced the idea to include fathers having forbidden sex with their daughters, and probably other ideas associated with that sort of sexual attraction.

I strongly recommend that you look this up in a Greek Mythology book. Read as much of the Greek and Roman myths as you can, if you want to learn where a great many of our present myths and stories came from! Where do you think the name Adonis came from, when you hear someone call a handsome man by that name? The Odessy, the Illead, and the Aenead have great reading material, and many of the names you have very probably heard come from these stories. The story of the Trojan Horse, Helen of Troy, Paris, Hector, and Kings Menelaus and Agamemnon is tragic but great reading. We learned a really good lesson from that tale. ("Beware of Greeks bearing gifts." That refers to the horse.)

Don't trust me or the person ahead of me for the answer to your question. You really should look it up for yourself. Hopefully, we have given you some good information to help you go straight to the correct source!

Cathy Williams

Answer

The Oedipus Cycle does indeed include Oedipus killing his father and marrying his mother. It was a typical Greek tragedy. Here is a link to more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_the_King

Here is more information about the Oedipus Complex as well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_complex

You are so wrong oedipus DID kill his father check your own site nd he DID wed his mother. I got

First answer by Mister1989. Last edit by Julie595842005. Contributor trust: 15 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 28 [recommend question]