Who was Oedipus?
To build the concept of Oedipus Complex, Freud used Greek mythology, more specifically the theater, written by Sophocles called “Oedipus the King”.
The myth tells the story of Laius, king of Thebes, who would have been warned by an Oracle about his future damn: he would be murdered by his own son who would marry his wife, that is, the mother of this. To prevent this from happening, Laius decides to leave the child in a distant place, putting nails in their feet, so that they die. A shepherd finds the child and names him Oedipus (pierced feet). This child is later adopted by the king of Corinth. Upon consulting the oracle, Oedipus receives the same message that his father Laius had received years before, but, believing it to be the adoptive parents, Oedipus flees Corinth. In his escape, Oedipus comes across a bunch of traders and their leader and ends up killing them all in a fight, not knowing that this leader was Laius, his father. Upon reaching Thebes, Oedipus deciphers the Sphinx's enigma and frees the city from its threats, thus receiving the king's throne and the hand of Queen Jocasta, now a widow. The two marry and have four children.
Years later, when a plague hits the city, Oedipus and Jocasta consult the oracle to try to resolve this issue and end up discovering that they are mother and son. Jocasta commits suicide and Oedipus pierces his eyes as punishment for not having recognized his own mother.
What is Oedipus Complex?
Freud appropriates the myth of Oedipus to formulate his idea that there is in the relationship of the triad (father-mother-child) an incestuous desire of the child for the mother and the hated interference of the father in this relationship.
Thus, the Oedipus Complex is a formulation used to explain child sexual development. This concept was worked on several times during the construction of Freudian theory and later by followers of psychoanalysis, becoming a formulation still under construction to which numerous authors are dedicated to around the world.
One of the striking features of the evolution of the concept of the Oedipus Complex is the increasing attribution of value to fantasy. This is because the Oedipal formulation was precisely the departure of Freud, when he decided to abandon the Theory of Trauma, which placed the origin of neurosis in the realm. To better understand, let's briefly retrace this path taken by Freud.
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Initially, based on clinical reports, Freud came to believe that adult neurosis was the result of a sexual trauma, which occurred in childhood, which returned years later, at puberty. This theorization, however, was being deconstructed as Freud began to consider that the experiences of his patients were not real traumas, but fantasies. The change in Freudian theory from this onwards is significant: great value is placed on psychic conflict and the ambivalence of children's feelings in relation to their parents is admitted.
According to Freud, the resolution of the Oedipus Complex is responsible for inserting the child into reality, for breaking of symbiotic relationships, through the recognition of interdictions, that is, through the recognition of the father in the relationship. This father figure, initially perceived as a mere obstacle to the fulfillment of desires, is gradually introjected.
The Oedipus complex is a structuring of the personality, and the difficulty in overcoming this moment and identifying oneself the father figure can be the explanation for many addictive and immaturity behaviors of adult individuals. The insertion of the father figure depends, among other elements, on the mother's attitude towards the father. One cannot speak of an exact age for the Oedipus complex to manifest or dissolve. Freud spoke at a stage between the ages of three and six. For other psychoanalysts like Melanie Klein, the introjection of the father figure happens much earlier, in the first years of life.
How to find out more?
To better understand the Oedipus Complex, the ideal is to revisit the Freudian theory and its different formulations over the years. Other authors propose updated and more accessible readings, such as the psychoanalyst Juan David Nasio in his book Oedipus - the complex from which no child escapes. In this book, Nasio proposes formulations about the limits and possibilities of the Freudian concept.
Juliana Spinelli Ferrari
Brazil School Collaborator
Graduated in Psychology from UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista
Brief psychotherapy course by FUNDEB - Foundation for the Development of Bauru
Master's Student in School Psychology and Human Development at USP - University of São Paulo