Psychoanalytical Approach

          In this psychoanalytical approach there are several theories being introduced and used which are the id, ego, and superego. According to Freud the id is the source of our bodily needs, desires, wants, and impulses (our sexual and aggressive drive). The ego is dealing with reality and the superego is guidelines for making judgement. These three theories that Freud introduces are seen in “Oedipus Rex”.

         The plot of the play, Oedipus Rex, is a man named Oedipus who kills his father and marries his own mother. In Oedipus Rex the theory id is seen when Oedipus marries his own mother. According to Freud, the id is unconscious. If Oedipus had known Jocasta was his mother, he would have not married her and have children. However, like any other man, Oedipus is attracted to women and from the play the reader can see the sexual drive within in Oedipus that can not be controlled.

In Oedipus Rex the theory ego is seen when thieves on the road kills a man. This thief was known to be Oedipus and the man he murdered was his father. In the play “Oedipus questions Creon about the murder of Laius, who was killed by thieves on his way to consult an oracle. Only one of his fellow travelers escaped alive. Oedipus promises to solve the mystery of Laius’s death, vowing to curse and drive out the murderer”(Sophocles). The reader can see that Oedipus, before he was crowned king, was a thief that could not resist the urge to steal from someone for his self and end up killing someone as a result.

          In Oedipus Rex the theory superego is seen when Oedipus sees what he has done and takes out his own eye as well as exiling himself since he had promised to do so when finding out who the criminal is for killing former king, Laius. In the play “Oedipus screams that he sees the truth and flees back into the palace. The shepherd and the messenger slowly exit the stage. A second messenger enters and describes scenes of suffering. Jocasta has hanged herself, and Oedipus, finding her dead, has pulled the pins from her robe and stabbed out his own eyes. Oedipus now emerges from the palace, bleeding and begging to be exiled”(Sophocles). According to Freud, the theory super-ego is a type of conscience that punishes misbehavior and this exactly seen in Oedipus Rex.

         In Oedipus Rex the reader sees a mother and son relationship. Jacosta, mother, marries his own son without knowing and has kids. The reader also sees a father and son relationship. Lauis, father, is killed by his own son, Oedipus.

         Freud explains that this play relates to the patients/people he has met before. For example, Little Hans was scared of horses because thought that the horse would bite of his genital. He wished his father dead and wanted his mother but could not wish this since he loved his father as well. Freud explains that boy and girl develop their first attachment to their mother and get rid of father.

Freud explains that boys sees girls without a penis and gives up his wish to get rid of father until he finds someone like a mother. Freud explains that girls see that they do not have a penis and wishes to have one but can not. Father can only give penis to mother and not to the girl until the girl finds someone like her father.

          Like in Oedipus Rex we see how Oedipus marries his own mother. Freud explains that boys and girls develop attachment to their mother. He also explains that boys find someone like their mother. Oedipus, a man, feels a sexual drive/attraction to Jacosta, so he marries her and have kids not even knowing that Jacosta is his real mother.

          Some symbolic features shown in Oedipus Rex is when he takes out his own eye. This shows that even with eyes Oedipus could not even tell his own father and had killed him so what is the point of having eyes...this leads him to think of even poking his eye out. With or without eyes Oedipus was blind the whole time.