In Freudian theory, the Oedipus complex is a conflict experienced by boys during the phallic stage. It is defined by a boy's desire for his mother and the accompanying feelings of jealousy and rivalry toward his father. The complex is named after the Greek myth of Oedipus. Freud suggested that this conflict is successfully resolved when the boy begins to identify with his father, which serves as an indirect way of possessing the mother.