A couple's marriage in England was immediately annulled (pronounced illegitimate) after a disturbing discovery: they were twins.How might this happen, you may ask? These siblings were separated at birth in closed adoptions, raised completely separately without knowing of each other's existence. Meeting later in life, they felt an immediate attraction to one another and later decided to wed.
It makes sense why they might feel that pull towards one another --that's human nature, as the article describes. People are attracted to people like themselves... but this is another story. Can you imagine finding out AFTER you've married to someone for a few weeks that you are, in fact, siblings? and TWINS! How traumatizing would that be?
Here's the story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7182817.stm
One more interesting point that the article makes... Should adoption agencies take more precautions to help unite biological siblings and/or press open adoptions? Confidentiality in this, as well as in sperm and egg donations, could cause more accidental incest in the future.
Apparently Oedipus and Jocasta are not the only ones to make this mistake, as rare as the incident may be.
Here are some questions to explore (you are free to ask your own questions as well):
- What do you think about this story?
- What does it say about the concept of fate and destiny?
- How does this situation relate to the conflict in Oedipus Rex?
