Hamlet's Psychodynamic Complex

Sigmund Freud suggests that one’s psychodynamic complex directs his conduct in the world (Freud). The protagonist in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is precisely a character whose actions and thoughts are guided by a sophisticated psychodynamic complex. Hamlet’s personality development is a manifest of the Oedipus complex because his conduct reveals the impact of Oedipus complex in human’s unconsciousness. I will first examine how Oedipus complex shapes Hamlet’s personality development by drawing connections between Hamlet’s behavior and the Oedipus complex, then I will discuss the significance of how different forms of art, such as literature like Hamlet, incorporates the idea of Oedipus complex with valuable implications to modern society. I …show more content…
Oedipus complex suggests that the boy wishes to possess his mother in a physical way as he has divined from his observations and intuitions about sexual life during phallic stage (Freud 67). In the play, Hamlet manifests his hidden sexual desire for Gertrude by constantly referring to images such as bed, sheets and incest in his speeches, “O, most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets!” (Shakespeare 75) These expressions symbolize Hamlet’s sexual desire for his mother and his disgust of their …show more content…
However, Hamlet’s id manifests when he condemns his mother for her sexual treachery. There is a disparity between the superego and the id, for Hamlet is in the position of the ego to act upon moralistic standards rather than realistic principles. Thus, there are intense anxiety and stress for Hamlet to cope with, stemming from his unconscious id. At last, id, ego and superego play important roles in affecting Hamlet’s delayed revenge to his uncle and this complicated psychodynamics is an important and universal feature of human