The Influence of the Id of the Characters in “Lysistrata” and “Candide” on Their Ego and Super Ego
ENGLISH HL
World Literature Paper 1
The influence of the Id of the characters in “Lysistrata” and “Candide” on their ego and super ego
Freud theorized that the psyche was sectioned into 3 segments; the id, the ego and the super ego. According to his theory, Freud believes that the id wants whatever feels good at the time with no regard for the reality of the situation (Id, Ego, Superego np). For example, “a child is hungry, the id wants food, therefore the child cries” (Id, Ego, Superego np). The id, as the theory goes, does not care for reality or for the needs of others, rather it only upkeeps its own satisfaction (Id, Ego, Superego, np). The ego begins to develop as we interact with the world and is based on the reality principle where the ego understands that others have needs and that sometimes being impulsive or selfish can hurt us in the long run (Id, Ego, Superego np). It is the ego’s job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into consideration the reality (Id, Ego, Superego np). Finally we develop the superego where the moral part of us progress’ due to moral and ethical restraints placed on us by our caregivers and it dictates our belief of right and wrong (Id, Ego, Superego np). The subtle aspect of Freudianism in the works of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and Voltaire’s Candide seems to not only been found in certain sections of both pieces but rather in both as a whole. Both authors subtly implicate their work with this theory in an attempt to allow the reader to relate to the characters and realize their own flaws as seen through an objective point of view. By investigating the dialogue in the works of Lysistrata and Candide we can see how the id of the characters is affected or affects the ego and/or super-ego in order to make the audience to associate and understand the characters more thus making them relatable and universal works of fiction.
Early on in Lysistrata, a 5th Century BC work by Aristophanes, we see the female characters,
World Literature Paper 1
The influence of the Id of the characters in “Lysistrata” and “Candide” on their ego and super ego
Freud theorized that the psyche was sectioned into 3 segments; the id, the ego and the super ego. According to his theory, Freud believes that the id wants whatever feels good at the time with no regard for the reality of the situation (Id, Ego, Superego np). For example, “a child is hungry, the id wants food, therefore the child cries” (Id, Ego, Superego np). The id, as the theory goes, does not care for reality or for the needs of others, rather it only upkeeps its own satisfaction (Id, Ego, Superego, np). The ego begins to develop as we interact with the world and is based on the reality principle where the ego understands that others have needs and that sometimes being impulsive or selfish can hurt us in the long run (Id, Ego, Superego np). It is the ego’s job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into consideration the reality (Id, Ego, Superego np). Finally we develop the superego where the moral part of us progress’ due to moral and ethical restraints placed on us by our caregivers and it dictates our belief of right and wrong (Id, Ego, Superego np). The subtle aspect of Freudianism in the works of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and Voltaire’s Candide seems to not only been found in certain sections of both pieces but rather in both as a whole. Both authors subtly implicate their work with this theory in an attempt to allow the reader to relate to the characters and realize their own flaws as seen through an objective point of view. By investigating the dialogue in the works of Lysistrata and Candide we can see how the id of the characters is affected or affects the ego and/or super-ego in order to make the audience to associate and understand the characters more thus making them relatable and universal works of fiction.
Early on in Lysistrata, a 5th Century BC work by Aristophanes, we see the female characters,
Cited: Aristophanes, and Alan H. Sommerstein. Lysistrata and Other Plays. Revised ed. London: Penguin, 2002. Print. "Id, Ego, Superego, and the Unconscious in Psychology 101 at AllPsych Online." Psychology Classroom at AllPsych Online. AllPsych and Heffner Media Group, Inc., 21 Mar. 2004. Web. 17 May 2011. . Voltaire. Candide. Trans. John Butt. England: Penguin, 1947. Print.