The Oedipus complex is a definition that has its origin from the classical theories of Sigmund Freud. This term receives such a name from the fact that, in a very famous work of ancient Greece, in which Oedipus, son of the king of Thebes, ended up murdering his father and thus occupied his position as king, marrying Queen Jocasta, who was at the same time his mother.
Freud used this work to explain one of the first stages of the psychosexual development of children, which occurs between three and five years of age, in which there is a modification in their behavior, in such a way that idealizes the mother, raising a feeling of love towards her, causing her to present a monopolizing attitude with her, in a kind of competition with any other male who takes her attention away and competes with her affection, usually the father is who becomes the object of feelings of hatred and estrangement.
In the times in which Sigmund Freud lived there was a strong repression of sexual desires. Reason why the Austrian psychoanalyst understood that there was a relationship between neurosis and repression of sexual desires. For that reason, it was possible to understand the nature and variety of the disease by having knowledge of the sexual history of the patient. Freud held the belief that children are born with a sexual desire which they must satisfy, and that there are a series of stages, in which the child seeks pleasure through different objects. This idea was what led him to the most controversial part regarding his theory: that it is nothing other than the theory of psychosexual development.
Freud divided the infant's psychosexual development into several stages, and the Oedipus Complex occurs during the Phallic Stage, this being the moment of greatest importance for the development of the child's sexual identity. This stage occurs after three years and extends up to six years. In this phase, the genitalia are the object of pleasure, and therefore interest in sexual differences and genitalia appears, which is why the non-repression of this desire and the correct management of this state are especially important, since such behavior could obstruct the child's capacity for inquiry, knowledge and learning in all respects.
