Comparing Shakespeare's Hamlet And Sophocles Oedipus Rex

Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus are explorations of unconscious sexual desires as of childhood. The incest relationships between Hamlet and Gertrude, and Oedipus and Jocasta illustrate the sexual psychology argued by Sigmund Freud as the ‘Oedipus complex ‘, which is a young boys’ lustful repressed desire to be with their mother and get rid of their father (Freud, 1900, p. 84). Hamlets and Oedipus’ autonomy is questioned as their sexual desires dictate the choices that they make. This is evident as Hamlet procrastinates killing King Claudius and resents his mother Gertrude and his deceased father King Polybius of Corinth as an outcome of his jealously and lust. Unlike Hamlet, Oedipus is oblivious to his marriage and children with his mother Jocasta until the near end when he feels a sense of guilt and recognises his sexual childhood desires, which ultimately leads to Jocasta’s death and Oedipus’ blindness.

The theory of the Oedipus complex is stated by Freud to be supported by Ancient Greece because it highlights unconscious desires. This is made …show more content…
The incest relationships between Hamlet and Gertrude, and Oedipus and Jocasta demonstrate the sexual psychology argued by Sigmund Freud as the ‘Oedipus complex ‘. The two characters autonomy is challenged in regard to the choices they make given that they are influenced by their sexual childhood desires. This is highlighted in both texts. As a result of his envy towards his mother Gertrude’s sex life with different men, Hamlet frequently delays murdering King Claudius and resents both his mother and his late father King Polybius of Corinth. Oedipus is blind to the fact that he married and had children with his mother, Jocasta until it was too late. Subsequently, he feels guilty in recognising his sexual childhood desires, which leads to the death of Jocasta and the blindness in