Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud founded psychoanalysis. Believing he could insight into people’s minds by researching their behavior and unconscious minds, Freud used his hypothesis on characters in literary works to analyze them and to support his proposition. One of Shakespeare’s tragic dramas that Freud examined was Macbeth.While reviewing the work, he realized that the characters in the play are prime examples of his theory. Id, ego, and superego best exemplify his theory in the theatrical work.
The first part of Freud’s theoretical psyche is the id, which Freud describes as “the primitive and instinctive component of personality. The id operates on the pleasure principle, which is the idea that every wishful impulse should be satisfied immediately, regardless of the consequences...The …show more content…
Even though he knows that Duncan is innocent and has done nothing wrong, his natural instinct to get what he wants takes over. The second part of Freud’s hypothetical psyche is the ego. He illustrates that the ego is “that part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the external world” (Freud 25). One’s ego combines the person’s instincts with principles that define whether something in society is morally right or wrong. Macduff acts as the ego because he is the balance and civil complement to the other character. When Macbeth drives Malcolm out, Macduff works hard to help him gather an army to retake the throne, even after Macbeth kills his entire family. Macduff declares But, gentle heavens,
Cut short all intermission; front to front
Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;
Within my sword's length set him; if he 'scape,
Heaven forgive him too!
The first part of Freud’s theoretical psyche is the id, which Freud describes as “the primitive and instinctive component of personality. The id operates on the pleasure principle, which is the idea that every wishful impulse should be satisfied immediately, regardless of the consequences...The …show more content…
Even though he knows that Duncan is innocent and has done nothing wrong, his natural instinct to get what he wants takes over. The second part of Freud’s hypothetical psyche is the ego. He illustrates that the ego is “that part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the external world” (Freud 25). One’s ego combines the person’s instincts with principles that define whether something in society is morally right or wrong. Macduff acts as the ego because he is the balance and civil complement to the other character. When Macbeth drives Malcolm out, Macduff works hard to help him gather an army to retake the throne, even after Macbeth kills his entire family. Macduff declares But, gentle heavens,
Cut short all intermission; front to front
Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;
Within my sword's length set him; if he 'scape,
Heaven forgive him too!