Understanding the Oedipal and Electra Complex Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory on human sexuality introduces the Oedipal and Electra complexes as a psychological approach in understanding the origins of sexual orientation. Most people disagree with his theory and throw out the concept of the Oedipal and Electra conflicts altogether. This is because many are misinformed about the subject or do not completely understand it. Both the Oedipal and Electra complex play a vital role in the psychoanalysis
org/stable/3809873 Russell Brown, John, (1995), The Oxford Illustrated History of the Theatre, (Oxford University Press) Sophocles (2005) Antigone (tr. Marianne McDonald) London: Nick Hern Books Willner, Dorothy, (1982) “”The Oedipus Complex, Antigone and Electra: The Woman as Hero and Victim”, American Anthropologist Vol 84, No.1, p. 58-78. http://www.jstor.org/stable/675950
how Hamlet, at certain times, was clearly not feigning insanity, but that insanity only lasted for brief periods of time because of the emotional blows that Hamlet undergoes. I and many literary folk believe that Hamlet suffered from a Oedipus complex. Freud described this as a desire for a young boy to kill his father and become sexually involved with his mother. Now that Hamlet's father is eliminated, he believes that he will now be the number one person receiving affection from his mother
to give her the freedom needed to experience the real world. Emily was shaped by her father at a young age to need attention and love at all costs. The Electra complex in girls is very heavily shown within "A Rose for Emily." The Electra complex is defined as "the sexual attachment of a female child to her father"(Grief 435). The Electra complex starts with the girl being attached to the mother and showing a severe need for parents. Then it changes from the mother
Sylvia Plath said that Daddy, “Is spoken by a girl with an Electra complex. Her father died while she thought he was God.” Yet many people see similarities in this poem with Plath's life, there seems to be a bit of both Plath and the girl with an Electra complex within this poem. Even though, Plath may use her own experience she draws heavily on Freudian thought to show the speaker's state of mind. The whole conflict of the poem is her trying to get over her father, yet it almost feels like she is
Oedipal and Electra Complexes In Rebecca female sexuality is explored through the heroine’s symbolic development of a negative Oedipal complex followed by an Electra complex. Although avoidance of incest was believed by Freud to be the impetus for normal sexual development, the film explores the abnormal outcome of a negative Oedipal/Electra complex, i.e. replacement of the mother by the daughter as the father’s heterosexual love interest. The heroine is torn between her desire to merge with
becomes Electra, one of the most controversial plays in American history. O'Neill had been happily married at one time, but his marriage fell apart and it ended in divorce. During this time, O'Neill became enthralled with the psychoanalytical view on life, which continued to haunt him for most of his life. After the divorce, O'Neill remarried, but was still fascinated with psychoanalytical views. His obsession with such views became bluntly palpable with the publication of Mourning Becomes Electra, where
The House of Mannon Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra is a play of revenge, sacrifice, and murder conveyed through visible references to Aeschylus' House of Atreus. O'Neill alludes to The House of Atreus in order to ground the play; attaching the plot to well-known aspects of history. As well, it brings a certain significance that otherwise would be neglected if their underlying manifestations went unnoticed. The most prominent of these allusions is that to Aeschylus' House of Atreus.
Hamlet, has a disinclination to kill his father’s murderer, who is also his uncle, Claudius. Two reasons Hamlet has such a hesitation is because he suffers from guilt and the Oedipus Complex. The Oedipus Complex, in short, is the “sexual desire towards the mother,” from a boy (Seitenlicht). The Oedipus Complex, in psychoanalytic theory, is a desire for sexual involvement with the parent of the opposite sex and a concomitant sense of rivalry with the parent of the same sex; a crucial stage in
over that of the female. The entire trilogy can be seen as a subtle proclamation of the superiority of men over women. Yet, the women create the real interest in the plays. Their characters are the impetus that makes everything occur. The most complex and compelling character in the three plays is Clytaemnestra. Clytaemnestra is consumed with thoughts of revenge. She seeks vengeance on Agamemnon for the loss of their daughter, Iphigeneia whose life was forfeited in order to appease the goddess
In the short story, My Oedipus Complex, the main character is a little boy named Larry whom seems much attached to his mother. Larry and his mother spend a decent amount of time together because Larry’s father has been away at war. Larry is unfamiliar with his father for his father has not stayed for a period of time until Larry reaches the age of five. Larry’s life will soon unravel as his father comes home from the war. This essay will focus on the main character, Larry, who the author has created
The Redeeming Features of the Characters in Electra In Euripides' 'Electra', there are a number of parts, speaking and non-speaking, that reveal the redeeming features of the otherwise pitiful characters. This essay will consider the roles of Orestes, Electra, Clytemnestra, the Peasant and Aegisthus (whose actions are only reported to us). It is arguable that the characters are not redeemable due simply to the plot of the play: a son returns, kills his father's unworthy successor, his
Language in Aeschylus Language is Aeschylus' juggernaut: he uses striking, innovative words to drive an image into the mind of his audience. Clytaemestra, notorious as a villain or perhaps an anti- heroine, effectively acts as a medium for Aeschylus’ brilliant rhetoric in Agamemnon. Clytaemestra’s rhetoric not only invokes vivid imagery, but also confuses and perverts spheres of logic and rhetoric: sacrifice with murder, liquids with cloth, and blood with wine. These images overturn the values
Sophocles’ and Euripides’ versions of Electra carry, among many similarities, a central theme of revenge. The characters, Electra and Orestes, must reunite to avenge their father’s murder. Misfortunately, in both versions the just solution leads the siblings to destroying their own mother. Both versions of Electra can be compared to Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers. However, they are both more dramatic, and more similar to each other than if each Electra was individually compared to the play by
Euripian play. Their role in society of that time was a great contrast to that of the men. Compared to today, women were miles apart from men; they were not even considered citizens of their region. This is obvious in the chorus where in the Electra, Medea and Hippolytus there is a chorus of women. This was unheard of in the time when the plays were written. A chorus is typically made up of wise men of Athens, therefore making it up of women would in that age, be very controversial. In Medea
Deceitful Clytemnestra of Euripides' Electra Agamemnon returns from Troy, a victorious general, bringing home spoils, riches and fame. He is murdered on the same day as he returns. Clytemnestra, his adulterous wife, has laid in wait for her husband's homecoming and kills him whilst he is being bathed after his long journey. During the Agamemnon, large proportions of the Queen's words are justifications for her action, which is very much concerned with the sacrifice of Iphigenia to the gods,
Vengeance in Oresteia From the beginning of time vengeance or retribution has been part of the human condition. This is especially true in Aeschylus's trilogy the Oresteia. One of the underlying themes in these works is Oculo pro oculo or an eye for an eye. According to the plays introduction by Richmond Lattimore, the history behind this blood feud of vengeance begins with Atreus and Thyestes. Atreus tricks his brother Thyestes into partaking of his own children (another possible Hannibal
Importance of the Tutor in Electra When delving into a novel, drama or other character-based text, analysts often focus their search around the supposed "major characters" who seem to most directly affect the work. In considering Electra, however, just as valuable as Orestes, Clytemnestra or Electra herself is a somewhat minor character, the Tutor. This attendant of Orestes emerges only three times and is on stage for less than twenty percent of the spoken lines, yet his role in driving the
Justice in the Oresteia Justice is often taken for granted in the world we live in today with a judicial system that gives fair punishment for most crimes. In the Oresteia justice works much differently, where there are no judges or a court system to resolve disputes, instead there is revenge. Revenge is very messy because somebody will and has to get hurt first to desire revenge, and it leads to a cycle that cannot and will not end until everybody is dead. Justice does not and cannot only
Religious Beliefs in Aeschylus' Oresteia, Homer’s Iliad, and Sophocles’ Electra The final and definitive defeat of the Persian army at the battle of Plataea represented the end of an age-long threat to Athens. But the victory was also a miracle, as all the odds were against the Athenians at the onset of the war. While Pericles took charge of Athens after the war and started the advance of democracy, religion also thrived. The rebuilding of the Acropolis and the construction of the Parthenon