Hamlet

After the reading of the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, it is concluded that Hamlet is not an Oedipal character. Oedipus eventually marries his mother, Queen Jocasta, unaware of her true identity; the oracle had also predicted this. Hamlet does not love Gertrude, however, he does love Ophelia and Hamlet does not rival with Claudius but revenges his fathers and mothers death. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum, what wilt thou do for her” (Act 5 scene 1 lines 243-245). The Oedipus complex, a theory, introduced by Sigmund Freud states, “the individual suffers from a repressed sexual desire for the parent of the opposite sex while having a rivalry with the parent of the same sex. In the story of Oedipus, Oedipus kills his true father due to a quick, impulsive rage of anger Hamlet, on the other hand, kills his step father out of a slow, leisurely, plotted out revenge. e and Oedipus kills Laius, not knowing Laius was his true father. ”

Even though Hamlet and Oedipus both kill their fathers, their intentions are different. Hamlets love for Ophelia is expressed in his letter to Ophelia discovered by Polonius in act 2 scene 2 lines 96-106. “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder,” states King Hamlet’s Ghost (Act 1 scene 5 line 26). His love for Ophelia is expressed again at her grave as Hamlet cries, “I loved Ophelia. By definition Hamlet cannot be looked upon as an example as an Oedipal character, Hamlet’s true father is dead.

In the play it may be implied that Hamlet loves his mother, however it is not implied he is in love with her or lust for her sexually. “I shall in all my best obey you, madame,” states Hamlet to Gertrude (Act1 scene 2 line124).