# Electra : Oedipus :: David : **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401 "2010-03-30T23:57:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/1 "2010-03-30T23:57:00Z")
Here’s the entire question my son is working on as prep for an AP exam: Electra : Oedipus :: David : (A) Absalom (B) Bathsheba © Saul (D) Goliath This is NOT homework help; he’s just studying for the AP exam and this question came up in a review book. And he’s on spring break so it could be a few more days till he’s back in school. Even with Google we can’t figure this one out. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/2 "2010-03-31T00:11:44Z")
Damned if I know. As far as I know, the only ties between Oedipus and Electra are that they were both characters from Greek literature/mythology (and title characters of famous Greek tragedies), and that Freud named a “complex” after each. But I don’t see how that parallels David and any of the four characters listed (all of whom are, admittedly, associated with him in the Biblical account). ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/3 "2010-03-31T00:15:33Z")
There is no good parallel from those choices. “Electra Complex” is a Jungian term mimicking Freud’s “Oedipus Complex” but I’m not aware of any other relationship between Electra & Oedipus. Electra & Oedipus are unrelated gender-switched awkward parallels. I could see how someone might want “Goliath,” but that’s contrasting antagonists. “Bathsheba” is of course the only one of those names that’s feminine. I got a 2 on my American history AP test. Those tests are bizarre. It’s actually easier to wait until college & CLEP out instead. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/4 "2010-03-31T00:27:14Z")
I’d vote for the only female on the list: Bathsheba. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/5 "2010-03-31T00:27:20Z")
My first impulse was Goliath and (supposedly) on standardized tests one should go with their first impulse, but Goliath really doesn’t make sense. Hmmm… Electra: had Daddy issues, but plotted against mother. Oedipus: had Mommy issues; killed father. David: slew Goliath. Saul: King of Israel; “mentored” David and attempts to have him killed. Bathsheba: David’s wife and mother to Solomon. Absalom: son of David. Rebelled against father. and was killed for it. Jeez. I dunno. If it were Electra : Oedipus :: Absalom : \_\_\_\_\_; I would pick David. But the “analogy” seems inverted the way it is written. Plus, Electra and Oedipus are not related in any way (I mean concretely), although they do share some major dysfunctional family dynamics! But all the rest of the choices are related to David in one way or another. I’m going with Saul, because David was in a “son” position to him. The fact that it was Saul who tried to have him killed (much like Oedipus’ father–but he was unsuccessful and Oeddie was a baby at the time, unlike David, but I digress), and Electra’s parents never tried to kill her (although I wouldn’t put anything past Agamemnon…)… Any way to know the right answer? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/6 "2010-03-31T00:28:10Z")
Weird. I don’t remember any analogies on AP tests and I took them in both history and in English. What’s the subject? ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/7 "2010-03-31T01:32:17Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Any way to know the right answer? The question is from page 48 of this book: > **[Amazon.com: AMSCO's AP Literature and Composition: Preparing for the Advanced...](https://www.amazon.com/AMSCOs-Literature-Composition-Preparing-Examination/dp/1567650732)** > > Amazon.com: AMSCO's AP Literature and Composition: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination: 9781567650730: Israel, Elfie, Bevilacqua, Mary, Timony, Rosemary: Books so if anyone has the answer key that might help. He’ll be back in school in a week so I can return to this thread with the answer that his teacher gives. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/8 "2010-03-31T01:35:40Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Weird. I don’t remember any analogies on AP tests and I took them in both history and in English. What’s the subject? English Literature and Composition BTW, I’m incllined to go with Bathsheba for the reason that\*\* foolsguinea\*\* cites. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/9 "2010-03-31T02:26:38Z")
Bathsheba is probably the answer they want, possibly without expecting further knowledge than the gender of the people. A faintly plausible case - Electra was responsible for the death of her mother, Oedipus for his father. David was responsible for the death of his son, and Saul ‘lost’ his daughter to marriage; the obvious problem is she didn’t die. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/10 "2010-03-31T02:47:41Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > Bathsheba is probably the answer they want, possibly without expecting further knowledge than the gender of the people. Except that, of course, that’s backwards. In that sense, Electra : Oedipus :: Bathsheba : David. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/11 "2010-03-31T03:27:53Z")
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the question is in error and is supposed to be: **Jocasta** : Oedipus :: David : (A) Absalom (B) Bathsheba © Saul (D) Goliath and the answer would be Absalom, being David’s son. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/12 "2010-03-31T04:35:58Z")
OK, you’ve piqued my curiosity. Can’t wait to find out the “right” answer. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/13 "2010-03-31T05:23:28Z")
There’s no good answer there… Electra killed her mother out of loyalty to dad / Oedipus killed his father and married mom. Vaguely parallel. Kind of sort of had things in common if you squint at them hard enough. There are some parallels between the David/Saul conflict and the Absalom/David conflict, David & Bathsheba both had marital fidelity issues, David & Saul were both kings… Goliath was just some guy. I’d go with A first, then C (if I had, say 6 A’s in a row) and hope the remaining questions made more sense. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/14 "2010-03-31T05:37:45Z")
> [@Plan\_B](#): > > English Literature and Composition > > BTW, I’m incllined to go with Bathsheba for the reason that\*\* foolsguinea\*\* cites. Seems a bit unfair if you don’t know who those people are then, no? It would be one thing if they were testing knowledge of characters in Greek lit/mythology, but it doesn’t seem like they’re doing that. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/15 "2010-03-31T06:02:13Z")
Electra and Oedipus both betrayed one of their parents (although Oedipus did it unknowingly), David and Saul both betrayed their God. . .? Kind of? I got nothing. It’s just bizzare because Oedipus and Electra have no relationship whatsoever, other than they are gendered counterparts of a Freudian concept. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/16 "2010-03-31T06:51:49Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the question is in error and is supposed to be: > > **Jocasta** : Oedipus :: David : > > (A) Absalom > (B) Bathsheba > (C) Saul > (D) Goliath > > and the answer would be Absalom, being David’s son. Or Antigone: Oedipus which would also be Absalom. Bathsheba and Goliath seem the least likely. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/17 "2010-03-31T07:28:58Z")
Yeah my first thought was that someone mixed up Electra and Antigone. Although even then it would have to be Oedipus : Antigone to equal David : Absalom. Electra loved her father. Oedipus killed his father. Electra got her brother to kill their mother. Oedipus killed his father himself. Electra brought about her father’s death deliberately. Oedipus did it by accident (or because of his curse). Eh. Still got nothing. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/18 "2010-03-31T08:32:53Z")
It’s a bad question, but I kick ass at standardized tests. Two things: 1.)BCAD 2.)One of these things is not like the other. Bathsheba is female. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/19 "2010-03-31T09:07:08Z")
Addendum to above: I can’t stress “BCAD” enough. The thing about multiple choice tests is that they are made by humans. And it turns out that whenever humans make multiple choice tests, the most common correct answer is “B”. After that there’s C, then A, then D. “BCAD” And if we couple that with the fact answer “b” is different from the rest… My number 2 pencil would be on “b”. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401/20 "2010-03-31T11:20:35Z")
Since it seems clear that there’s no answer that can be adequately explained as long as we deal with those answers as Classical or Biblical characters or people, maybe the test is not about those specific people but maybe about less commonly associated characters? Other than the Bible and Greek myth, are there places where Electra and Oedipus appear as given names for characters in non-Classical works? [Wikipedia on Oedipus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_(disambiguation)) [Wikipedia on Electra](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electra_(disambiguation)) [Wikipedia on David](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(disambiguation)) Maybe the clues to the right choice lie elsewhere in those options? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electra-oedipus-david/534401.md?page=2)