The character of Hamlet has remained a topic of interest for literary critics since the play was first published towards the late 16th century. Since then, literary critics and Shakespeare enthusiasts alike have attempted to shed light on his true thoughts and intentions throughout the play—ultimately trying to determine why his character remains so elusive throughout the majority of the pages. A number of theories have been developed, and just as many opinions expressed on this subject, but to truly to understand Hamlet and his actions it is necessary to look beyond the meaning of actions and rather into the psyche and subconscious of his character. Carl Jung’s theory of archetypes and sub archetypes can be used to understand the various aspects
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Using this research, he developed the theory of archetypes to interpret dreams and their connection to the subconscious. This knowledge can be used to analyze literature—such as Shakespeare’s Hamlet—in order to gain a deeper understanding of the main characters and the motivation and meaning behind their actions. Jung theorized three distinct archetypes: the Shadow, the Anima/Animus, and the Self (Berger, 461). These various archetypes symbolize different aspects of a person’s personality, including repressed feeling and emotions from the subconscious, expressed in physical form in the conscious. The first archetype--the Shadow, represents deeper aspects about a person, and is usually shown by a figure that consists of characteristics opposite of the main character. The Anima is the “personification of feminine psychological tendencies in a man’s psyche,” and is represented by a member of the opposite sex. (Berger, 463). The Animus figure is the opposite, representing the male tendencies represented in a female character. The final archetype, the Self, is “the innermost nucleus of the psyche,” (Berger, …show more content…
The Shadow as explained by Jung also consists of many darker aspects of the main character’s personality as well as repressed impulses that aren’t necessarily visible to the reader. Hamlet encounters multiple Shadow figures throughout the duration of the play. The first example that is seen in the play is the Ghost, who appears at various points throughout the arc of the story and urges Hamlet to exact revenge on his father’s murder. Upon analyzing the play in its entirety multiple times, it remains unclear whether the Ghost is truly a hallucination of Hamlets father, an apparition, or something else. It is a mysterious character that perfectly represents the Shadow archetype. Hamlet’s suspicion that his father’s death was not simply an accident is not fully grasped until the ghost appears and claims to be his dead father—informing him that Hamlet’s own uncle murdered him when he says the line: “But know, thou noble youth, the serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown.” When Hamlet becomes hesitant in his quest for revenge, the Ghost appears and urges him back into action. The presence of this archetype represents Hamlet’s suppressed feeling in his sub conscious that his father’s death was not an accident as it was said to be, and a deep urge to avenge his father’s death. This Shadow archetype functions as a window to his most
Using this research, he developed the theory of archetypes to interpret dreams and their connection to the subconscious. This knowledge can be used to analyze literature—such as Shakespeare’s Hamlet—in order to gain a deeper understanding of the main characters and the motivation and meaning behind their actions. Jung theorized three distinct archetypes: the Shadow, the Anima/Animus, and the Self (Berger, 461). These various archetypes symbolize different aspects of a person’s personality, including repressed feeling and emotions from the subconscious, expressed in physical form in the conscious. The first archetype--the Shadow, represents deeper aspects about a person, and is usually shown by a figure that consists of characteristics opposite of the main character. The Anima is the “personification of feminine psychological tendencies in a man’s psyche,” and is represented by a member of the opposite sex. (Berger, 463). The Animus figure is the opposite, representing the male tendencies represented in a female character. The final archetype, the Self, is “the innermost nucleus of the psyche,” (Berger, …show more content…
The Shadow as explained by Jung also consists of many darker aspects of the main character’s personality as well as repressed impulses that aren’t necessarily visible to the reader. Hamlet encounters multiple Shadow figures throughout the duration of the play. The first example that is seen in the play is the Ghost, who appears at various points throughout the arc of the story and urges Hamlet to exact revenge on his father’s murder. Upon analyzing the play in its entirety multiple times, it remains unclear whether the Ghost is truly a hallucination of Hamlets father, an apparition, or something else. It is a mysterious character that perfectly represents the Shadow archetype. Hamlet’s suspicion that his father’s death was not simply an accident is not fully grasped until the ghost appears and claims to be his dead father—informing him that Hamlet’s own uncle murdered him when he says the line: “But know, thou noble youth, the serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown.” When Hamlet becomes hesitant in his quest for revenge, the Ghost appears and urges him back into action. The presence of this archetype represents Hamlet’s suppressed feeling in his sub conscious that his father’s death was not an accident as it was said to be, and a deep urge to avenge his father’s death. This Shadow archetype functions as a window to his most