concept
Greek
also: Philosophy & Psychology
Oedipus Complex
Freud's theory that young boys feel unconscious desire for their mother and rivalry with their father.
Origin
Named for the Sophocles tragedy in which Oedipus unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. Freud used the myth as the model for a stage of childhood development; the concept has been heavily contested since.
Modern usage
Used in literary and film criticism, casual psychology, and jokes. Mostly survives as a cultural reference even where the psychology has fallen out of favor.
Tags
psychology
family