A Jungian Psychoanalytic Approach to Zeus’s Defeat of Cronus
Since the Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist Carl Gustav Jung founded a series of analytical psychology theories first introducing the concept of “personal unconscious”, “collective unconscious” and “archetype” in 1953, an advanced Jungian psychoanalytic approach has been extensively applied to the interpretation of Art, literature and Greek myth. This essay will argue that Zeus’s behavior of defeating his father Cronus was motivated by “personal unconscious”, yet his fiery desire for supreme power and authority was an “archetype” genetically inherited from Cronus. Also, “the recurring pattern of the victory of the ambitious son in his battle for power against his ruthless father” …show more content…
According to Hesiod's Theogony, the rule of Uranus, the primal sky god in Greek myth was overthrown by his son Cronus, and this son-defeats-father pattern continues by Uranus’s curse on his son Cronus which foretold Cronus would eventually be defeated by his child as well. According to Jung’s psychoanalytic theory of “collective unconscious” and “archetype”, “collective unconscious” includes a combination of shared ideas said to be universal and influential across the history of humanity. “Archetype” can be a pattern, figure or character revealed in peoples' tales which“establishes patterns of behavior that can serve as exemplars” and basic blue prints for human personality (Morford, Lenardon, and Sham 9). Such theme involves a battle for power between father and son can be not only reflected in Cronus’s defeat of Uranus and Zeus’s defeat of Cronus, but also found in historical events such as Alexander I of Russia’s coming to throne. This is because this type of theme has become an universal theme that was inherited from the the personalities of the “archetype” like Greek god Uranus, Cronus, Zeus, and human ancestor and passed on through thousands of years of the development of civilization. Another example of “archetype” can be found in fathers’ hostile attitude towards sons in Greek myths in which Uranus imprisoned his sons deep within Earth and Cronus swallowed each child of his except Zeus to prevent them from taking over his power. Furthermore, we can interpret what made the fathers hate even kill their children was their desire for absolute control and power over the world. Unfortunately, this part of their
Since the Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist Carl Gustav Jung founded a series of analytical psychology theories first introducing the concept of “personal unconscious”, “collective unconscious” and “archetype” in 1953, an advanced Jungian psychoanalytic approach has been extensively applied to the interpretation of Art, literature and Greek myth. This essay will argue that Zeus’s behavior of defeating his father Cronus was motivated by “personal unconscious”, yet his fiery desire for supreme power and authority was an “archetype” genetically inherited from Cronus. Also, “the recurring pattern of the victory of the ambitious son in his battle for power against his ruthless father” …show more content…
According to Hesiod's Theogony, the rule of Uranus, the primal sky god in Greek myth was overthrown by his son Cronus, and this son-defeats-father pattern continues by Uranus’s curse on his son Cronus which foretold Cronus would eventually be defeated by his child as well. According to Jung’s psychoanalytic theory of “collective unconscious” and “archetype”, “collective unconscious” includes a combination of shared ideas said to be universal and influential across the history of humanity. “Archetype” can be a pattern, figure or character revealed in peoples' tales which“establishes patterns of behavior that can serve as exemplars” and basic blue prints for human personality (Morford, Lenardon, and Sham 9). Such theme involves a battle for power between father and son can be not only reflected in Cronus’s defeat of Uranus and Zeus’s defeat of Cronus, but also found in historical events such as Alexander I of Russia’s coming to throne. This is because this type of theme has become an universal theme that was inherited from the the personalities of the “archetype” like Greek god Uranus, Cronus, Zeus, and human ancestor and passed on through thousands of years of the development of civilization. Another example of “archetype” can be found in fathers’ hostile attitude towards sons in Greek myths in which Uranus imprisoned his sons deep within Earth and Cronus swallowed each child of his except Zeus to prevent them from taking over his power. Furthermore, we can interpret what made the fathers hate even kill their children was their desire for absolute control and power over the world. Unfortunately, this part of their