Sigmund Freud and the Oedipus Complex: Interpreting Sophocles’ Oedipus the King

Oedipus’ promise to the people of Thebes proves to be his undoing when his and others’ actions in the past cause him to lose everything that he holds dear. While Oedipus’ search for the truth ultimately leads to his downfall, Sigmund Freud took a different meaning from this classic tragedy, and developed several theories that corrupted Oedipus’ story, turning it into an acceptable way to explore his interest in the taboo subject of incest.

Although tragedy is inherent in the play, the real tragedy lies in the fact that this cautionary tale has been reduced to a pop culture keyword for abhorrent acts.

Freudian analysis of the story of Oedipus is full of references to incest, but Oedipus is not aware of this fact until the very end of the story. His reaction upon learning of his ancestry is extremely negative and shows that the idea horrifies him, even to the point of mutilation (Exodos, lines 42-53). Indeed, the Freudian theory of Oedipus complex precludes Oedipus himself from having said complex.

Oedipus’ story is a series of unfortunate events one after the other, that snowball into a terrible personal tragedy, and yet despite these events, Oedipus still follows through on his word to the people of Thebes and exiles himself, showing a capacity for caring for others beyond his own immediate family and sound moral judgment. Neither of these psychological attributes go hand in hand with the Oedipus complex Freud developed, which was manifested primarily in young childhood, and repressed by the time one was an adult.

While Oedipus did kill his father, it is not presented as a premeditated act(Ode 1 Scene 2 lines 277-288). Rather Oedipus killing his father and entourage is shown as a reaction to being physically attacked by King Laios’ charioteer and King Laios himself. This directly refutes the idea that Oedipus and Laios had an “instinctive hate for each other” (Nassaar) that led to the following events. Oedipus was placed on a course determined not by malice but by fate.

Regarding Oedipus’ feelings of attachment towards his daughters, Sigmund Freud and others have advanced several theories indicating an unspoken illicit intent on Oedipus’ part. Regarding Dr. Freud’s declaration about those feelings; his comments must be viewed through the lens of time and culture. Sigmund Freud’s theories were about advancing the science of psychoanalysis in the Victorian era, and they should be kept in that context. Unlike the enlightened age Freud lived in, ancient Grecian women were the property of men, and reliant upon them for all things.

In support of Freud’s theory Christopher Nassar argues that since Antigone was published previous to Oedipus and the story was well known, the irony on Sophocles’ part was intended to point in a way other than the obvious (Nassaar).While Antigone was published years before Oedipus Rex, Mr. Nassar does not mention that Antigone was a revolutionary examination of the rights and roles of women in Greek society, with Antigone ultimately being punished with death for her refusal to follow the directions of her Uncle Creon.

It was natural for Oedipus to be more protective of his daughters than of his sons (Exodos, lines 231, 232), because of their unspoken rights as men; their ability to take on work, and exercise rights as full citizens in voting and land ownership were assumed, while his daughters would have been at the mercy of a society that subjugated women as a matter of course.

While Dr. Freud and others have skewed facts to support Dr. Freud’s interpretation of the tragedy Oedipus Rex, an original reading of the text shows no devious leanings regarding the subject matter. Indeed, Sophocles’ tale is presented as a moral tale with a positive reinforcement of the socially acceptable norms of the time in which it was produced. In reimagining Oedipus Rex as a sordid play about incest alone, Sigmund Freud has missed the point of the play entirely.

Works Cited

Nassaar, Christopher. “Sophocles “Oedipus the King”.” 55.4 (1997): pp. 187(3). various. Madden, Frank. Exploring Literature. 3rd. Valhalla: Pearson Longman, 2007. 956-962