Students’ Questions about Literature Page 46

The Oedipus complex is a psychoanalytic theory that proposes that each child has an unconscious desire to sexually possess their parent of the opposite sex. This theory was first proposed by Sigmund Freud.

Perseus killed Medusa by beheading her.

The Seven Horcruxes are objects that Lord Voldemort has hidden his soul in. They are: Harry Potter’s wand, Tom Riddle’s diary, Slytherin’s locket, Ravenclaw’s diadem, Hufflepuff’s cup, Nagini the snake, and Voldemort’s ring.

A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris and his release to life in London with his daughter Lucie, whom he had never met.

Odysseus is the main character in Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. He is a brave and clever Greek hero who goes on a long journey home after enduring many challenges.

Medea killed her two children in order to spite her ex-husband, Jason.

Hamlet is a tragic hero because he is a complex and interesting character who experiences a tragic downfall.

The theme of Oedipus Rex is that fate is inescapable and that hubris inevitably leads to tragedy.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the upper class is portrayed as being wealthy and having a lot of power.

Oedipus blinded himself because he could not bear to see the horror that he had caused. He had killed his father and married his mother, and was now living in exile with his daughters.