...Date: 21 February 2012 Write an essay about the Oedipus complex. Your essay should explore the history of the concept, its development in psychoanalytic thinking and its wider implications. You should illustrate your understanding with detailed examples from your work setting and/or placement. Essay submitted for the award of MSc in Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy at Birkbeck College, University of London Introduction This paper attempts to trace the evolution of Freud’s concept of the Oedipus complex within psychoanalysis. One case will be considered in detail to illustrate relevant theoretical formulations focussing mainly on the work of Freud, Klein, Britton and Bion. The wider implications of the Oedipus complex will also be considered before I conclude. History of the Oedipus complex and Freud’s theoretic evolution Freud used the term Oedipus complex to describe a boy's feelings of desire for his mother and hostility towards his father which he regarded as a universal event of early childhood. The term is derived from the Greek myth of Oedipus who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother. In a letter to Fliess dating back to 1897, Freud (1954) attributes these ideas to his self analysis and indirectly to the Greek myth as presented in the popular Sophocles’ play ‘Oedipus Rex’. During the late 1890s Freud, theorised that fantasies built around the Oedipus complex were the primary cause of hysteria and other neurotic symptoms...
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...Oedipus Complex For many years, the Oedipus Complex has been a perplexing psychological disorder that has caught the attention of many psychologists and doctors. This disorder is very prominent at young ages. Oedipus Complex is located in the brain. Oedipus Complex affects the brain to where a child gains an attraction to the opposite-sex parent while gaining a hatred towards the other parent. The child, which can either be a boy or a girl, becomes fixated to a point where they compete with the other parent for attention. Oedipus complex is used primarily to describe a son's attraction towards his mother. Electra Complex, a form of Oedipus complex is used to describe a daughter’s attraction to her father. Sigmund Freud, a very famous psychologists, was very interested in this complex. Oedipus Complex acquired its name from the greek mythological character named Oedipus. Oedipus is the child of Laius and Jocasta in the Greek tragedy Oedipus the King. This Greek tragedy was written by Sophocles in 429 B.C. This tragedy follows the character Oedipus who becomes the king of Thebes. However, he is given the fate to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus unknowingly follows...
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...“My Oedipus” a story written by Frank O’Connor tells a story about a young boy named Larry and his feelings towards his father. When his father came home from World War II, Larry finds himself jealous of his father and hating that he is home. Larry fears losing his mothers attention, so he finds himself competing with his father for his mothers attention. This story focuses on Larry getting use to his father being home from the war. And how it effects his relationship with his mother. Since Larry is not the only one at the house for his mother to care for he feels that he has to do more to keep her attention focused on him. When Larry’s father returned home he felt that his mother started acting different towards him. His mother would ask him to not come and get into her bed in the morning because his father needed his rest. Therefore Larry felt as if his mother was choosing his father over him. Larry did the opposite of what his mother asked him to do. He would come in every morning, get in the bed and start talking to his mother. Mother did not like that. At times it may seem that mother is desperately trying to please father, she is actually drawing more attention to herself. Throughout the story mother says, “Just a moment, Larry” or “Do be quiet, Larry”. When she says these types of things, she is only making the competitions between Larry and his father more intense. When mother pushes Larry away in these situations, it makes him jealous of the attention his mother...
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...Feather Liu 14 June, 2015 A Drama Review of Hamlet By studying the Stage Show of Wuhan University Abstract As the longest masterpiece of Shakespeare, Hamlet impresses us with its tragic revenge of prince Hamlet. This stage show presents us the core part of Hamlet through performance of “nunnery scene”, “closet scene” and Hamlet’s monologue. Thus, this article will mainly focuses on drama review of the stage show from aspects of technical arts, adaption and editing as well as performance of the actor and actresses and a character analysis combing with Oedipus complex, Electra complex together with the author’s personal reactions. Keywords: drama review; technical arts; performance, character analysis Contents I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………....3 II. Technical arts………………………………………………………………………4 A. Lighting &Music.……………………………………………………………..4 B. Stage Properties…………………………………………………………..........4 C. Costumes………………………………………………………………………4 III. Editing& Adaption………………………………………………………………..5 IV. Performance……………………………………………………………………….6 A. Hamlet…………………………………………………………………………...6 B. Ophelia………………………………………………………………………….6 C. Gertrude…………………………………………………………………………7 V. Character Analysis………………………………………………………………....7 A. Hamlet………………………………………………………………………….7 B. Ophelia…………………………………………………………………………8 C. Gertrude………………………………………………………………………..9 VI. Conclusion…………………………………………………………….................9 Introduction The original...
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...irrational and excessive fear of an object or situation (Cherry, 2012). The individual experiences an intense fear of something but he or she does not understand why the fear is occurring. The fear disrupts the well-being of the individual by causing the intense fear he or she will be harmed or endangered. Sigmund Freud who often provided details to understand the anxieties of the mind by his analysis of his cases studies (Cervone & Pervin, 2010). One such case is the analysis of Little Hans who was young child who suffered from an extreme fear of horses biting him and the fear of leaving his home (Cervone & Pervin, 2010). Freud suggested the case of little Hans produced the most compelling evidence for the positive Oedipus complex and suggested the Oedipus complex is a universal phenomenon (Lachmann, 2010). Freud did not analyze Little Hans personality but uniquely corresponded with Hans’s father about the young child’s phobias and conducted therapy through Hans’s father (Garber, 2001). Freud and Hans’s father would discuss the difficulties Little Hans experienced and Freud would instruct Hans’s father to understand Little Hans experiences and suggested techniques to handle the case therapeutically (Garber, 2001). The case of Little Hans is accepted by most psychologists as the first psychoanalytic therapy of children to support Freud’s theory of infantile sexuality. Freud suggested the unconscious mind can create unresolved issues that affect how an individual thinks, feels...
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...71 Oedipus Complex, Mate Choice, Imprinting; an Evolutionary Reconsideration of a Freudian Concept based on Empirical Studies Tamas Bereczkei and Petra Gyuris∗ University of Pécs, Hungary Freud’s assumption that the Oedipal relationship plays an important part in shaping the future character of mate choice needs a scientific reconsideration that, in turn, requires setting an empirically testable explanation. The authors hypothesize that the close physical and emotional attachment between the mother and her son includes a sexual imprinting-like mechanism that influences the processing of childhood experiences. Here they present a set of experiments showing that adults prefer long-term partners who resemble the mental representation of their parent of the opposite sex. Furthermore, mating preferences were found to be shaped in the process of attachment; those mothers were most frequently used as mental models for their sons’ mate choice who provided more emotional warmth and less avoidance to their sons during childhood. The implications of the study’s results for the contemporary interpretation of Freudian theory are discussed. Key Words: Oedipal relationship; Mate preferences; Evolutionary psychology. Freud’s theory It is well known that the Oedipus complex plays a pivotal role in Sigmund Freud’s theory. This complex characterizes the early stage (between 3-5 years) of boys’ sexual objectchoice (Freud, 1905, 1938). During this period, boys have sexual feelings towards...
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...short story it is outlined that Charlie is actually terrified of him. In contrary to this he adores his mother (see page 534, lines 25-27). Not until the father is taken away Charlie feels that he loves him (537 bottom). In our group we believe that this sudden feeling of love for the father is due to Charlie wanting his mother to himself. When talking about this with the other groups it led to a discussion whether or not this is a picture [jk4] of Freud’s Oedipus complex. Some did not agree on this since the complex occurs much earlier in life. Besides this some argued that Oedipus did not know his parents which Charlie does. But since Freud was just showing the main idea of the myth instead of using it literary,[jk5] the claim that the short story is also about “Freud’s Family Romance” is still supported. The fact that Freud was becoming very popular in England at that time could furthermore speak for this being the right interpretation. Therefore some agreed that Charlie could just be in the middle of an unsolved Oedipus complex. Another theme within the short story could be manhood. This theme is, however, slightly connected with the abovementioned seeing that this also has something to do with Charlie’s relationship to his father. As already mentioned he is very frightened in the beginning; both as to the situation itself but also as to his father. In our group we agreed that there are two sides of Charlie: one which is brave (the adult side), i.e. the one telling him...
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...away was the “Parent-child-relationship” and more specifically the “Father-son-relationship”. In the very beginning of the text we are told that the boy does not like his father (notice p. 534, lines 22-25) Several times in the short story it is outlined that Charlie is actually terrified of him. In contrary to this he adores his mother (see page 534, lines 25-27). Not until the father is taken away Charlie feels that he loves him (537 bottom). In our group we believe that this sudden feeling of love for the father is due to Charlie wanting his mother to himself. When talking about this with the other groups it led to a discussion whether or not this is a picture [jk4] of Freud’s Oedipus complex. Some did not agree on this since the complex occurs much earlier in life. Besides this some argued that Oedipus did not know his parents which Charlie does. But since Freud was just showing the main idea of the myth instead of using it literary,[jk5] the claim that the short story is also about “Freud’s Family Romance” is still supported. The fact that Freud was becoming very popular in England at...
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...Aim The aim of the study was to report the findings of the treatment of a five-year-old boy for his phobia of horses. Procedure/Method Freud used a case study method to investigate Little Hans? Phobia. However the case study was actually carried out by the boy?s father who was a friend and supporter of Freud. Freud probably only met the boy once. The father reported to Freud via correspondence and Freud gave directions as how to deal with the situation based on his interpretations of the father?s reports. Freud noted that it was the special relationship between Hans and his father that allowed the analysis to progress and for the discussions with the boy to be so detailed and so intimate. The first reports of Hans are when he was 3 years old. Findings/Results The first reports of Hans are when he was 3 years old when he developed an active interest in his ?widdler? (penis), and also those of other people. For example on one occasion he asked ? Mummy, have you got a widdler too?? When he was about three years and six months old his mother told him not to touch his widdler or else she would call the doctor to come and cut it off. Around the same time, Hans? mother gave birth to his sister Hanna, and Hans expressed jealousy towards her though this disappeared after a few months. When Hans was almost 5, Hans? father wrote to Freud explaining his concerns about Hans. He described the main problem as follows: ?He is afraid a horse will bite him in the street, and this fear seems...
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...Q2. Why did Hans develop a phobia? (20%) * Set in 1909 * Repression, dreams, fantasy- all part of the case * Mother and child relationship-Infantile sexuality * He was attempting to negotiate Castration and Oedipal complex. * When he tried to negotiate the Oedipus complex, it led to his outbreak of phobia. * Generally, the father’s role is to take up the position of authority and oedipal prohibitor between the mother and son. However, Hans’s father was unable to do so in this case. * What is necessary is that the father must intervene in the mother child relation? – to establish the incest prohibition and establish the “promise” the ego ideal. * Father is the No and the Promise! * So Hans difficulties arise from number of sources; * The mother is overly attached to him and will not allow him to separate * The father cannot take up his position as authority and intervene effectively * The mother – does not listen to/support the father role – continues to take Hans into bed with her regardless of what the father says * At three years of age, he is at the phallic stage- pre-occupied by his widger. * Hans asks his mother if she possess a widger- she affirms Yes. Constant conflict about what he thinks/sees/is told. * Hans not only interested in widdlers but also touching his penis – infantile masturbation * Before his phobia mother threatens Hans that she will call Dr.A to cut it off at 3 ½.However he doesn’t care, no...
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...“The harsh truth of every relationship, even between those who love each other, like fathers and sons and daughters, or husbands and wives, is that the love is always unequal”. When a child is little, everything their parents do is seen as perfect, a parent can do no wrong. As a child grows older, they start to see that their parents are in fact flawed and this can cause an inward conflict for the child. Psychology has done a lot of research about family relationships, especially the relationship between a mother and her son. Sigmund Freud himself came up with the Oedipus complex, which is when a boy has an attachment to the mother, which in turns results in aggressive and envious feelings toward...
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...Psychotherapy Volume 32/Winter 1995/Number 4 DOES THE OEDIPUS COMPLEX EXIST? JOEL KUPFERSMID PSI, Twinsburg, Ohio The Oedipus complex is considered to be the nucleus of neurosis for Freud and many psychoanalysts. Examination of the nature and origins of the Oedipus complex presented by psychoanalysts and critics suggests, that as a hypothetical construct, there is little evidence to support its existence. sity students taking courses in psychology. Thus, it appears that an examination of the historical roots and current status of the Oedipus complex might aid psychotherapists as well as others who have been introduced to the concept. The primary focus of this article will be on the validity of the Oedipus complex and the reasonableness of believing that it is a viable hypothetical construct in the analysis of human psychopathology and, thus, that it should be placed at the core of clinical procedures. What Is the Oedipus Complex? The Oedipus complex has two forms, one for the male and one for the female. Freud's writings on both forms spans several decades. There is no single publication in which he fully described all aspects of the Oedipus complex for both males and females. A researcher must piece together the nature of both forms from his many writings on the topic. The essence of the Oedipus complex is a desire on the part of the child to have a sexual relationship with the opposite sex parent and feelings of hostility toward the same sex parent. These desire/feelings...
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...AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY DIPLOMA IN SOCIAL WORK AND DEVELOLPMENT STUDIES NAME: HEZEKIAH KELLY .O. COURSE CODE: SWD114 DATE: MAY 25TH 2013 SIGMUND FREUD’S STAGES OF PSYCHO-SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) observed that during the predictable stages of early childhood development, the child's behavior is oriented towards certain parts of his or her body, e.g. the mouth during breast-feeding, the anus during toilet-training. He proposed that adult neurosis (functional mental disorder) often is rooted in childhood sexuality; therefore, said neurotic adult behaviors were manifestations of childhood sexual fantasy and desire. That is because human beings are born "polymorphous", infants can derive sexual pleasure from any part of their bodies, and that socialization directs the instinctual libidinal drives into adult heterosexuality.[3] Given the predictable timeline of childhood behavior, he proposed "libido development" as a model of normal childhood sexual development, wherein the child progresses through five psychosexual stages – the oral; the anal; the phallic; the latent; and the genital – in which the source pleasure is in a different erogenous zone. Freudian psychosexual development Sexual infantilism: in pursuing and satisfying his or her libido (sexual drive), the child might experience failure (parental and societal disapproval) and thus might associate anxiety with the given erogenous zone. To avoid anxiety, the child...
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...catharsis, a term which Aristotle borrowed from the medical writers of his day, which means a "refining" -- the viewer of a tragedy refines his or her sense of difficult ethical issues through a vicarious experious of such thorny problems. Clearly, for Aristotle's theory to work, the tragic hero must be a complex and well-constructed character, as in Sophocles' Oedipus the King. As a tragic hero, Oedipus elicits the three needed responses from the audience far better than most; indeed, Aristotle and subsequent critics have labeled Oedipus the ideal tragic hero. A careful examination of Oedipus and how he meets and exceeds the parameters of the tragic hero reveals that he legitimately deserves this title. Oedipus' nobility and virtue provide his first key to success as a tragic hero. Following Aristotle, the audience must respect the tragic hero as a "larger and better" version of themselves. The dynamic nature of Oedipus' nobility earns him this respect. First, as any Greek audience member would know, Oedipus is actually the son of Laius and Jocasta, the King and Queen of Thebes. Thus, he is a noble in the simplest sense; that is, his parents were themselves royalty. Second, Oedipus himself believes he is the son of...
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...In Freudian psychology, psychosexual development is a central element of the psychoanalytic sexual drive theory, that human beings, from birth, possess an instinctual libido (sexual energy) that develops in five stages. Each stage – the oral, the anal, the phallic, the latent, and the genital – is characterized by the erogenous zone that is the source of the libidinal drive. Sigmund Freud proposed that if the child experienced sexual frustration in relation to any psychosexual developmental stage, he or she would experience anxiety that would persist into adulthood as a neurosis, a functional mental disorder.[1][2] Contents [hide] 1 Background 2 Freudian psychosexual development 2.1 Oral stage 2.2 Anal stage 2.3 Phallic stage 2.4 Latency stage 2.5 Genital stage 3 Criticisms 3.1 Scientific 3.2 Feminist 3.3 Anthropologic 4 Medical sexological model 5 See also 6 References Background[edit] The neurologist Sigmund Freud, c. 1921. Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) observed that during the predictable stages of early childhood development, the child's behavior is oriented towards certain parts of his or her body, e.g. the mouth during breast-feeding, the anus during toilet-training. He argued that adult neurosis (functional mental disorder) often is rooted in childhood sexuality, and consequently suggested that neurotic adult behaviors are manifestations of childhood sexual fantasy and desire. That is because human beings are born "polymorphous perverse", infants...
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