Cocteau revisited the Oedipus story and the theme of incest in several works. The greatest among these is widely considered to be his play La Machine Infernale, first produced and published in 1934.

The source for Cocteau's Oedipus works is the ancient Greek play Oedipus Rex, written in 428 b.c.e. by the tragedian Sophocles. It is well worth reading for its compelling story, emotional power, and extraordinary influence on writers and thinkers up to the present day. The 2006 Cambridge University Press Sophocles: Oedipus Rex, edited by R. D. Dawes, gives readers lots of support in its excellent introduction and analyses of the play's language.

Thomas Mann's novel The Holy Sinner (1951) is a story based on the medieval legend of St. Gregory. It highlights the spiritual consequences of incest and describes redemption through forgiveness.

The novel The God of Small Things...