Two Greek Myths
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The ancient stories set down by the Greeks have, for centuries, provided a means of socialization and cultural interpretation for many societies. Mythology, not just the myths from the Greeks, has in fact provided a way to organize and explore areas of commonality between cultures and different historical periods. Under the rubric of the nature of mankind, therefore, mythology gives the contemporary observer insights into the past, the present, and the possible future. Functionally, mythology organizes and maintains a sense of human participation for the individual. It fulfills the imagination, the senses, and the emotional need for spirituality, while at the same time teaches certain societal and human lessons about life and living.1 It is perhaps this pedagogical interpretation of mythology that lends itself well to the object of this paper, the psychoanalytic method as used in comparing two Greek myths, Hesiod's Theogony and Electra by Sophocles. The paper itself will present a brief summary of both myths, and then analyze both using psychoanalysis to determine how events, situations, and desires expressed in the myths symbolize reality.1 See Joseph Campbell, Historical Atlas of World Mythology, Vol. 1, "The Way of the Animal Powers," (New York: Harper & Row, 1988), 8 10. Sophocles' Electra is a play about passion, intrigue, betrayal, and the subconscious desires of repressed sexuality. In essence, the basic conflict within the play is
. . .
ouple, a series of events is set in motion which has the reign of Zeus as its inevitable and logical conclusion."4
It is also interesting to note that although the Theogony was composed toward the end of the 8th century B.C., it is not clear how much of the work is his own invention and how much was collected as part of the oral tradition. This, like the Homeric epics of the time, was commonplace.5 Likewise, other similarities exist between Hesiod and Homer, not the least of which is a desire to impart the traditions _____________________
4 Hesiod, Theogony, translated and edited by Richard S. Caldwell, (Cambridge: Focus Information, 1987), 1.
5 Ibid., 2.
moral structures of the time in a manner that was both comprehensible and entertaining to its intended audience.
In a Freudian perspective, it is first interesting to note that both the Theogony and Electra have elements of sexual repression and subconscious arrested development while in childhood. This, of course, included the type and quality of activities oriented towards wishes and fantasies aiming to produce a specific outcome.6
In the Theogony, this repression is almost immediately evident when the first race of Gods give birth to Zeus, almost in line with the d
. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Theogony Electra, Zeus Theogony, , Electra Spare, University Press, Chrysothemis Orestes', Sophocles' Electra, Electra Theogony, Earth Sky, Focus Information, repressed sexuality, richard caldwell, world mythology vol, york oxford university, press 1989, historical atlas, world mythology, mythology vol, vol 1, powers york, oxford university press, university press 1989, 1 animal, atlas world mythology, animal powers,
Approximate Word count = 1369
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)
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