Lakhasly

Psychoanalytic Criticism of Hamlet The Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet can be considered one of Shakespeare‘s most complex works. Hamlet features a range of themes including revenge and corruption; however, it is through critical analysis that the greatest understanding of the text can be found. Because of the theme of insanity in Hamlet, a popular critical lens associated with the text is the psychoanalytic lens. Using the psychoanalytic lens, the reader examines the psychology of the characters and author through the author‘s choices in creative writing. Analysis of Hamlet using this criticism reveals the mental states of the characters, especially Hamlet. Hamlet‘s sanity, or insanity, is undoubtedly one of the most argued discussions in literature, but the psychoanalytic criticism proves one undeniable matter.Hamlet suffers from an Oedipus complex. Hamlet and Oedipus from Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, have striking similarities which augment Hamlet‘s Oedipus complex. The Oedipus complex is a psychoanalytic theory which encompasses the idea of unconsciously desiring the parent of the opposite sex, while desiring to eliminate the parent of the same sex. Theorized by Sigmund Freud, the Oedipus complex originates from the play Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, in which Oedipus fulfills a prophecy killing his father and marrying his mother. According to Freud‘s theory, all children have an Oedipus complex which is resolved during the phallic stage of life (Shaffer and Kipp 548-549). Oedipus‘ mother and wife, Jocasta, acknowledges this point in a dialogue with Oedipus. She states, ―And as for this marriage with your mother – have no fear. Many a man before you, in his dreams, has shared his mother‘s bed‖ (Sophocles 157). Hamlet does hold these feeling for his mother, Gertrude, but Hamlet‘s situation contrasts greatly to that of Oedipus; Hamlet never fulfills his oedipal desires. Despite this fact, Hamlet is said to have one of the greatest Oedipus complexes through all of literary history, second to none other than the complex‘s archetype, Oedipus. Hamlet‘s unresolved Oedipus complex leads to his neurotic tendencies. Neurosis involves any series of mental disorders involving distress and is characterized by not being able to pass the Oedipus complex during childhood. Hamlet is engulfed in distress through the entire text of the play. The death of his father and the betrayal of his uncle and mother combined with his desire for her prove too much for Hamlet, and because of this he suffers deep emotional damage. Like Hamlet, Oedipus too suffers immense emotional trauma after discovering Jocasta‘s lifeless body and it drives him to gauge out his own eyes Sophocles166-167). Oedipus‘ actions represent eternal suffering caused by his Oedipus complex, which parallels Hamlet‘s mental suffering. Hamlet‘s neurosis can be seen through soliloquies in where his inner conflict implies that his mad-front is not a front but a psychological disorder. Hamlet‘s psyche exhibits the characteristics of a person with an Oedipus complex. First, Hamlet‘s portrayal as an immature adolescent affirms that he has retained his Oedipus complex. In Harry Berger‘s analysis of Shakespeare‘s works, he quotes another Shakespearean play, Henry IV, by saying ―Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown‖ (McDonald 366). When applied to Hamlet, this quote shows how growing up as the child of a royal family, Hamlet was destined to exhibit some type of psychological theory, and this theory manifests itself in Hamlet‘s Oedipus complex. During Hamlet‘s childhood, King Hamlet was more than likely away for major portions his son‘s life performing the duties of a king, for example King Hamlet‘s trip to Norway to duel King Norway. King Hamlet‘s absence during the most important time of Hamlet‘s life, his transition into adulthood, caused an attachment of Hamlet to his mother. The first psychoanalytic theory of attachment in children is ―I love you because you feed me‖ (Shaffer and Kipp 448-449). Because of the King Hamlet‘s lack of time to care for his son, Hamlet would have attached to Gertrude, who would have been the primary caregiver in his life. King Hamlet‘s inability to be part of Hamlet‘s life, and his later death, also promotes a retrogression of the oedipal theory. A key concept of this theory is male children are strongly motivated to turn away from their mother and identify with their father in order to avoid ―re-engulfment‖ with their maternal parent (McDonald 379). During infancy, children are reliant on their maternal parent, but in the years following infancy, children tend to gravitate towards their same-gendered parent. Re-engulfment is defined as a child‘s gravitation towards the parent of the opposite gender and can be caused by the lack of a maternal or paternal figure, or the encouragement of the child to partake in activities that counter their gender stereotype; for example, a male child being taught to cook as opposed to playing sports (Shaffer and Kipp 550). Hamlet falls victim to the first cause; without a father figure in his life to identify with, he is unable to resist re-engulfment with Gertrude. It is Hamlet‘s biological destiny, his inevitability to repeat his earliest relationships with others, to try and replicate his relationship with his mother with others (McDonald 367). Hamlet‘s relationship with Ophelia is just that; an attempt to find her ―inner-Gertrude‖ so he can have the same affection for Ophelia he does his mother. This can be seen immediately before the showing of ―The Murder of Gonzago,‖ when Hamlet asks Ophelia if he may lay ―[his] head upon [her] lap‖ (Shakespeare 141). This gesture by parent. Re-engulfment is defined as a child‘s gravitation towards the parent of the opposite gender and can be caused by the lack of a maternal or paternal figure, or the encouragement of the child to partake in activities that counter their gender stereotype; for example, a male child being taught to cook as opposed to playing sports (Shaffer and Kipp 550). Hamlet falls victim to the first cause; without a father figure in his life to identify with, he is unable to resist re-engulfment with Gertrude. It is Hamlet‘s biological destiny, his inevitability to repeat his earliest relationships with others, to try and replicate his relationship with his mother with others (McDonald 367). Hamlet‘s relationship with Ophelia is just that; an attempt to find her ―inner-Gertrude‖ so he can have the same affection for Ophelia he does his mother. This can be seen immediately before the showing of ―The Murder of Gonzago,‖ when Hamlet asks Ophelia if he may lay ―[his] head upon [her] lap‖ (Shakespeare 141). This gesture by parent. Re-engulfment is defined as a child‘s gravitation towards the parent of the opposite gender and can be caused by the lack of a maternal or paternal figure, or the encouragement of the child to partake in activities that counter their gender stereotype; for example, a male child being taught to cook as opposed to playing sports (Shaffer and Kipp 550). Hamlet falls victim to the first cause; without a father figure in his life to identify with, he is unable to resist re-engulfment with Gertrude. It is Hamlet‘s biological destiny, his inevitability to repeat his earliest relationships with others, to try and replicate his relationship with his mother with others (McDonald 367). Hamlet‘s relationship with Ophelia is just that; an attempt to find her ―inner-Gertrude‖ so he can have the same affection for Ophelia he does his mother. This can be seen immediately before the showing of ―The Murder of Gonzago,‖ when Hamlet asks Ophelia if he may lay ―[his] head upon [her] lap‖ (Shakespeare 141). This gesture by parent. Re-engulfment is defined as a child‘s gravitation towards the parent of the opposite gender and can be caused by the lack of a maternal or paternal figure, or the encouragement of the child to partake in activities that counter their gender stereotype; for example, a male child being taught to cook as opposed to playing sports (Shaffer and Kipp 550). Hamlet falls victim to the first cause; without a father figure in his life to identify with, he is unable to resist re-engulfment with Gertrude. It is Hamlet‘s biological destiny, his inevitability to repeat his earliest relationships with others, to try and replicate his relationship with his mother with others (McDonald 367). Hamlet‘s relationship with Ophelia is just that; an attempt to find her ―inner-Gertrude‖ so he can have the same affection for Ophelia he does his mother. This can be seen immediately before the showing of ―The Murder of Gonzago,‖ when Hamlet asks Ophelia if he may lay ―[his] head upon [her] lap‖ (Shakespeare 141). This gesture by parent. Re-engulfment is defined as a child‘s gravitation towards the parent of the opposite gender and can be caused by the lack of a maternal or paternal figure, or the encouragement of the child to partake in activities that counter their gender stereotype; for example, a male child being taught to cook as opposed to playing sports (Shaffer and Kipp 550). Hamlet falls victim to the first cause; without a father figure in his life to identify with, he is unable to resist re-engulfment with Gertrude. It is Hamlet‘s biological destiny, his inevitability to repeat his earliest relationships with others, to try and replicate his relationship with his mother with others (McDonald 367). Hamlet‘s relationship with Ophelia is just that; an attempt to find her ―inner-Gertrude‖ so he can have the same affection for Ophelia he does his mother. This can be seen immediately before the showing of ―The Murder of Gonzago,‖ when Hamlet asks Ophelia if he may lay ―[his] head upon [her] lap‖ (Shakespeare 141). This gesture by Hamlet mirrors that of a child and mother and shows Hamlet thinking of Ophelia as a figure similar to his mother. Hamlet‘s infatuation with his mother can be seen through his interactions with her. In his first soliloquy Hamlet refers to his mother and father while saying ―Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him as if increase of appetite had grown by what it fed on‖ (Shakespeare 29). Hamlet continually expresses the affection his mother had for his father with an unusual adoration for their relationship. Later in the text, when Hamlet is contemplating suicide, he cites ―the pangs of despised love‖ as one of his reasons to commit suicide. ―Despised love‖ translates to unreturned love (124-125). But, who is Hamlet referring to in this reflection? It is clear that Ophelia returns Hamlet‘s love when she becomes deeply concerned when he appears to her in a bewildered state, so it can be assumed that Hamlet is referring to Gertrude, the other woman in his life who can never return his feelings.Hamlet‘s mother does nothing to stop Claudius from plotting against her son throughout the text, although she is aware Claudius is trying to rid Denmark of him. Even though Gertrude seems indifferent as to where Hamlet resides, she is concerned with his well-being like any mother would be. In her final moments she manages to warn Hamlet by saying ―Oh my dear Hamlet! The drink, the drink! I am poisoned!‖ (283). Gertrude‘s delay in warning Hamlet against Claudius shows that only in a dire situation would she place him above Claudius. Shakespeare‘s literary choices also hint at Hamlet‘s feelings for his mother. Shakespeare chooses to have Hamlet and Gertrude‘s meeting within Gertrude‘s bed chambers, which Hamlet rushes to when he is told to meet her. During their conversation, Hamlet warns Gertrude against committing adultery with Claudius, telling her to live in the ―purer other half‖ of life, which suggests Hamlet‘s past view of Gertrude as the quintessential example of a pure, chaste woman (181). Hamlet is willing to forgive Gertrude for her treacherous act which demonstrates his yearning for the woman he once worshipped. This scene also proves that Hamlet has not come to terms with his mother‘s sexuality and her affection for; another man (Cowling, 2-5). Hamlet‘s display of disgust towards his mother‘s promiscuousness validates his desire for the woman Gertrude once was. In contrast to his relationship with Gertrude, Hamlet‘s relationship with Ophelia is obscure, which appears to only be a façade on Hamlet‘s end. Hamlet has such varied interactions with Ophelia that their relationship is never defined. The first instance of this is displayed in Act III, where Hamlet denounces his love for Ophelia and is involved in an incestuous affair with Claudius, Ophelia has premarital encounters with Hamlet. From appearance to personality, Ophelia matches that of Gertrude which causes Hamlet‘s attraction to her. Hamlet‘s downfall is usually solely attributed to his tragic flaw of procrastination, but his inability to kill Claudius delves deeper into his unconscious love for Gertrude. Ernest Jones states, ―when a man at different times gives a different reason for his conduct… he is concealing a true reason‖ (4). Whenever a chance to kill Claudius presents itself to Hamlet, he gives himself an excuse as justification for not taking action. For example, Hamlet could have killed Claudius immediately after encountering the Ghost of King Hamlet. Instead, he chooses to wait until he has ―grounds more relative than this,‖ referring to the Ghost‘s trustworthiness (Shakespeare 117). Hamlet‘s excuse is that he believes the Ghost to be the devil, preying on his emotions. This gives Hamlet the appearance of an inability to take action, but his acts speak otherwise. At the end of Act III, Hamlet kills Polonius by quickly thrusting his sword through the arras (171). Polonius‘ murder demonstrates that Hamlet has the ability to act on impulse, but he still does not, when time is afforded to him, kill Claudius. Hamlet is thus only unable to kill Claudius because of his admiration for him. Claudius was able to do what Hamlet could not; kill King Hamlet and claim Queen Gertrude as his own. Therefore Hamlet is not waiting for the right moment to kill Claudius because he is subconsciously applauding the accomplishments of his hero. Despite the staggering evidence supporting Hamlet‘s Oedipus complex, there are still theories which deny this claim. One criticism of the oedipal characteristics of Hamlet questions Hamlet‘s lack of rejoicing at the death of King Hamlet (Jones, 17). Shakespeare does not provide the audience with an implication to what Hamlet‘s relationship with his father is like before his death. There is no proof that Hamlet and King Hamlet have a loving relationship, and it is more likely they did not. Hamlet‘s indifference pertaining to his father‘s death is seen through the play‘s progression; Hamlet begins to mention his father less frequently, and only directly mentions him once in Act V as ―my king,‖ not ―my father‖ (Shakespeare 265). Hamlet‘s changed attitude implies that King Hamlet‘s death is of minor importance, which is the opposite reaction a loving son would have. Secondly, the abhorrence and jealousy Hamlet feels towards King Hamlet would have transferred over to Claudius upon King Hamlet‘s death. Claudius becomes the new father figure in Hamlet‘s life, and his desire to eliminate King Hamlet is now transferred into his desire to eliminate Claudius.The likeness that Hamlet and Oedipus the King share contributes to the shared Oedipus complex between the characters. Similarities between these texts indicate a bond that the protagonists share. In both plays, the characters find themselves in distraught kingdoms. In Hamlet, Denmark is on the verge of war with Norway, who holds Denmark responsible for its recent decline and loss of a king. Thebes in Oedipus the King is being ravaged by Apollo‘s plague as a result of the late King Laius‘ actions. The distraught nations in both texts are used as a literary device. They foreshadow the similar endings to the texts; both characters descend to their destructions, Hamlet‘s death and Oedipus‘ exile, losing their crowns in the process. Because of their Oedipus complexes, Hamlet and Oedipus are both forced to live lives of regret and anguish until their demises. After having his first encounter with the ghost, Hamlet is driven to near insanity which drives to him his plan of killing Claudius. In the end, he is successful in killing Claudius, but at the cost of his own life. This parallels Oedipus gouging out his own eyes and inflicting blindness upon himself. Oedipus‘ blindness symbolizes eternal agony that he must suffer after coming to terms with his life. Like Victor Frankenstein and the ancient mariner who share the same fate because of their disregard for the laws of nature, Hamlet and Oedipus share a similar fate because of the complications of the Oedipus complex. An analysis of Hamlet‘s psyche quickly makes apparent the fact that Hamlet has an Oedipus complex. Hamlet never does achieve his happy ending; a life united with Gertrude similar to the lives of Oedipus and Jocasta, but Hamlet is doomed from the start. Text after text proves that an Oedipus complex always ends in catastrophe, but that did not stop Shakespeare from constructing one of the greatest oedipal cases in literature. A superficial view of Hamlet is that of a play including an evil king and vengeful prince, but thorough analysis reveals a far superior conflict; the internal struggle of a prince with an Oedipus complex.