Œdipe (opera) is suspicious that Creon wants to usurp him, and dismisses Tiresias and Creon from his sight. Meanwhile, Jocasta tries to comfort Oedipus, and tells of the circumstances of the killing of Laius, which disturbs Oedipus. The shepherd confirms Jocasta's story. From Corinth, Phorbes then arrives to ask Oedipus to succeed Polybus, and then reveals that Polybus and Merope were his adoptive parents, not his biological parents. It turns out that Merope's own child had died at birth, and Phorbes replaced that child with Oedipus, whom the Shepherd had not the heart to abandon to the elements. Oedipus now understands the
Laius complex century an open question. Iris Levy, ‘The Laius Complex: From Myth to Psychoanalysis’ "International Forum of Psychoanalysis" 20 (2011) 222-8 S-M Weineck, "The Tragedy of Fatherhood" (2014) Laius complex and mother-child symbiosis Laius complex The ‘’’Laius complex’’’ revolves around the paternal wish for filicide, particularly for the extinction of the male heir, in an attempt to ensure one will have no successors. Indo-European mythology contains a number of stories of foundlings, like Cyrus the Great or Romulus and Remus, outcast after a prophesy that they will replace the dynasty into which they are born. In Greek mythology, Cronus (Roman Saturn)