Prohibited Sexual Behavior and Sexual Violence

Adult Sexual Contact with Children: Incest: Literary Note

”Lot and his Daughters”
In the biblical story of the widowed Lot, his two daughters make him drunk, because they want to get pregnant by him and thus continue the family line. Both of them succeed, and each gives birth to a son. Painting by Hendrik Goltzius (1558-1617)

Over the centuries, many writers have dealt with the subject of incest, from the story of Lot and his daughters in the Bible (Genesis 19:30-36) to Sophocles’ drama “Oedipus the King” (428 B.C.), John Ford’s play “T’is Pity She’s a Whore” (1633), and Richard Wagner’s opera “Die Walküre” (1870). In these great theatrical masterpieces, the characters are treated with compassion and are more pitied than condemned. Nevertheless, their incest is seen as a source of tragedy. This usually mirrors the feelings of the audience as long as the incest involves only consenting adults or at least brother and sister of roughly the same age. In such cases, many people are prepared to show some sympathy and understanding. However, their tolerance quickly evaporates when force and children are involved.