Hamlet
Hamlet's hesitation to kill Claudius in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is debatably one of the most interesting topics of this play. Among the most renowned analysts to have theories on Hamlet's procrastination is Ernest Jones, who explains his reasoning through Sigmund Freud's Oedipus complex theory. Today, many psychologists disapprove of Freud's theories, but literary analysts still rely on his theories to explain much of Hamlet's reasoning. Although the psychological and philosophical aspects contains small gaps unanswered because of Hamlet's state of confusion and melancholy, the Tragedy and the Mind of the Infant still gives proof of Hamlet's procrastination through Freudian theory, caused by his inability to cope with repressed childhood feelings.One of these weaknesses of Jones's view relates to the Oedipus complex. Freud stated that it affects children up to the age of five, not adults, such as Hamlet. Freud never stated that adults share these feelings towards their mother because of represse
In his quest to claim power and command, Hamlet incorporates his father's desires "to revenge his foul and most unnatural murder" (I. Yet, as Jones states, "killing his mother's husband would be equivalent to committing the original sin himself". "Wretched Queen adieu" would be seen in Freud's' view as sign of reaction formation, which occurs when the ego unconsciously makes unacceptable impulse look like their opposites. Jones's weaknesses partly attribute to the fact that Hamlet was not a real character and that Shakespeare could not replicate the Oedipus complex theory perfectly because Freud did not invent it at the time. In Act 3, Scene 4, Hamlet unleashes his childhood fantasies with his mother, revealing that his intention to kill Claudius is not to revenge his father, but for his lust for Gertrude, giving more reason for Hamlet to procrastinate on the murder. By allowing Claudius to live, he imagines himself in Claudius's place, fantasizing Gertrude, while at the same time, he is suffering seeing another man sleep with her. However, this quote can be viewed as a strength to Jones's view through Freudian theory. Through identification process, children's superegos gain strength as they incorporate many of their parents' values. Another weakness in Jones's view lies in Act 3, Scene 4, when Hamlet kills Polonius, thinking it was Claudius. Since Hamlet is a fictional character, proving any point is difficult. The Oedipus complex brings up much debate resulting in Hamlet's procrastination of Claudius's murder. The last weakness to Jones's view is when Hamlet says "wretched Queen adieu".
Common topics in this essay:
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Gertrude Act,
Apperception Test,
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Wretched Queen,
Mind Infant,
Freud's Oedipus,
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