Essay On The Oedipus Complex In Hamlet

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Hamlet In his play Hamlet, William Shakespeare gives the readers a chance to interpret the text beyond the visible letters. If one keeps their eyes open, between the lines is a subtext, which is quite fascinating. Recurring themes of being a son and a lover can be confused but if one applies correct attention to certain quotes, it is quite obvious that Shakespeare himself wanted the lines to be blurred. Throughout the play, despite raw text hinting towards the Oedipal Complex between Hamlet and Gertrude, when delving deeper into the script, the true intentions of Hamlet’s love towards Gertrude and Ophelia are revealed. Paying close attention to Hamlet’s numerous actions towards his mother, Gertrude, one may assume that Hamlet endures an Oedipal Complex. In one of many instances, Hamlet implies that he is perhaps fond of Gertrude. Towards the end of Act 3 (on page 181), Hamlet tells his mother, “I must be cruel only to be kind”. This suggests that perhaps he is going out of his way to be kind to her although he may act cruelly to others (Ophelia). He truly wanted to be a good son and fill his father, King Hamlet’s, shoes. He is respectful and dear to his mother when he tells her flat out, “I shall in all my best obey you, madam” (page …show more content…
The defined oblivion must be noted once the ghost enters during a conversation shared between Hamlet and Gertrude (page 177). In this particular scene, Hamlet uses certain graphical scenes from his imagination of his mother and his uncle entertaining in intercourse. Once Gertrude responds, “No more, sweet Hamlet”, Hamlet may have felt a little turned on by how his mother was speaking to him after describing the love scene. Hence, the ghost, being Hamlet’s subconscious, tries to put Hamlet back on track. Hamlet was aware that perhaps he was confused with whom his heart truly lay; the ghost was meant to serve as an awakening, per

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