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Essay / The depiction of the Oedipus complex in the film The Lion King
Sigmund Freud gave the Oedipus complex the title of a man named Oedipus who accidentally kills his father and marries his mother. Once Oedipus realizes what he has done, he puts out his eyes and goes blind. Similar to Oedipus, the concept claims that young boys feel sexually attracted to their mothers and feel hatred and jealousy towards their fathers. These negative feelings are due to their need to possess their mother exclusively, without having to share this love. No matter how the boy feels, society views incest as a terrible attribute and so boys must learn to repress their lewd attraction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay A child's love for his mother is never considered unconventional, however, Simba's infatuation with his mother seems considerably incestuous. Subtle evidence of Simba's tainted affection can be detected in the watering hole scene, where Simba's desire to be king is boldly displayed through his song "I Can't Wait to Be King" . His wish may seem innocent until a deeper analysis reveals the hidden evil behind this desire. The desire present in Simba can only be realized as soon as the current king, his father, voluntarily resigns or no longer breathes. Additionally, Simba's excitement about becoming king only appears once his father mentions that everything Mufasa currently owns in Pride Rock, including his mother, would one day belong to him. Simba's obsession with becoming king is his way of expressing his wish to replace his father. Another indication of his inappropriate attachment can be seen when Simba and Nala escape to what they believed to be an elephant graveyard. Simba's persistence in visiting the elephant graveyard, after his father and Zazu tell him not to, is seen as his attempt to compete with his father and show his bravery; perhaps looking for his mother's love. However, this desire is crushed as Simba is unable to protect himself or his friends from the hyenas without Mufasa's help. The next scene shows Simba placing his small paw on his father's larger paw print. This image presented in front of the little one makes him understand that Mufasa is clearly bigger and stronger than him. Not only does this realization deflate Simba's ego, but it forces the little one to make an important decision: defy his father or become like him. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Paper As the old saying goes "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em", Simba begins the identification process by imitating his father's attributes. Eventually, Simba impersonates his father so well that when he returns to Pride Rock in the final scenes to reclaim his kingdom, his mother mistakes Simba for Mufasa..