Throughout literary history, many philosophers have studied and analyzed the psychological meaning and connections between book characters and psychology over time. Psychology has, of course, evolved and changed, yet we can still see the older psychological theories having connections to older works of literature such as in Shakespeare's Hamlet. In Hamlet, Hamlet can best be analyzed through Freud’s Psychosexual and Psychoanalytic theories. Throughout the novel, Hamlet displays the characteristics and actions of an individual who follows the guidelines of the psychosexual stages and therefore Freud’s psychoanalytic theory as well.
Part 1 Although Freud’s theories are no longer as widely accepted as they once were, they still put forth the …show more content…
But in our circumstance and course of thought
'Tis heavy with him. And am I then revenged (Shakespeare, Hamlet, III, iii .74-85).”
Throughout this scene, we can see that Hamlet pauses and thinks about the consequences of being brash and uses not only his id but also his ego, and superego all in one scene. If Freud's theory about him being stuck in the phallic stage was correct and he is therefore lead by his id, he should have made the rash decision to kill his uncle on sight. And yet we can see the three parts of the unconscious work together to come to the conclusion that this plan would not satisfy any part of him. That is also not the only scene where we see Hamlet exercising the use of all three parts of his unconscious and carefully deciding how he will proceed. In the scene where Hamlet contemplates suicide, the reader can clearly see his id wanting to act on his first impulse and the other two come in to convince Hamlet to do otherwise. The quote:
To be, or not to be? That is the question—
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And, by opposing, end them? To die, to …show more content…
His id is the primary instigator to commit suicide while his superego takes charge of what it would really mean to be dead and the uncertainty of it all. Then in comes his ego to decide that while the pain is sometimes untolerable, the uncertainty of death is also an important factor to consider that ultimately wins out the internal conflict he has.
Although some can say that Hamlet is not fully represented by Freud’s theories, we can clearly see that his behavior and characteristics closely follow the theories’ descriptions. He shows characteristics such as being brash and self-absorbed that indicate he is stuck in the phallic stage of development. Him being stuck in this stage also means that he is more prone to follow his id and makes rash decisions without thinking of consequences, such as when we see him murder Polonius all because he believed him to be the king behind a curtain. His relationship with his mother also coincides with the oedipus complex and is a great explanation for the real cause of his anger towards his mother and her relationship with his uncle. So, while Hamlet may have some moments of true clarity, more of his actions prove he has the traits of an individual in the phallic stage and that he can be successfully analyzed by Freud’s psychosexual and psychoanalytic
Part 1 Although Freud’s theories are no longer as widely accepted as they once were, they still put forth the …show more content…
But in our circumstance and course of thought
'Tis heavy with him. And am I then revenged (Shakespeare, Hamlet, III, iii .74-85).”
Throughout this scene, we can see that Hamlet pauses and thinks about the consequences of being brash and uses not only his id but also his ego, and superego all in one scene. If Freud's theory about him being stuck in the phallic stage was correct and he is therefore lead by his id, he should have made the rash decision to kill his uncle on sight. And yet we can see the three parts of the unconscious work together to come to the conclusion that this plan would not satisfy any part of him. That is also not the only scene where we see Hamlet exercising the use of all three parts of his unconscious and carefully deciding how he will proceed. In the scene where Hamlet contemplates suicide, the reader can clearly see his id wanting to act on his first impulse and the other two come in to convince Hamlet to do otherwise. The quote:
To be, or not to be? That is the question—
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And, by opposing, end them? To die, to …show more content…
His id is the primary instigator to commit suicide while his superego takes charge of what it would really mean to be dead and the uncertainty of it all. Then in comes his ego to decide that while the pain is sometimes untolerable, the uncertainty of death is also an important factor to consider that ultimately wins out the internal conflict he has.
Although some can say that Hamlet is not fully represented by Freud’s theories, we can clearly see that his behavior and characteristics closely follow the theories’ descriptions. He shows characteristics such as being brash and self-absorbed that indicate he is stuck in the phallic stage of development. Him being stuck in this stage also means that he is more prone to follow his id and makes rash decisions without thinking of consequences, such as when we see him murder Polonius all because he believed him to be the king behind a curtain. His relationship with his mother also coincides with the oedipus complex and is a great explanation for the real cause of his anger towards his mother and her relationship with his uncle. So, while Hamlet may have some moments of true clarity, more of his actions prove he has the traits of an individual in the phallic stage and that he can be successfully analyzed by Freud’s psychosexual and psychoanalytic