Examples Of Oedipus Complex In Hamlet

1226 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Oedipus complex in hamlet essay

In Hamlet, Shakespeare conceals the Oedipus complex in Hamlet’s behavior. Many disagree since Shakespeare wrote the play before the Freudian theories were conceived. However, some assert he’s a psychopath. His character is very complicated, but, most of us will readily agree that Hamlet has Oedipus complex. He is deeply in love with his own mother and attempts to kill his new stepfather, Claudius. This can be seen throughout the play in many ways. Hamlet is an accurate example of a man who couldn’t manage to overcome his desires. This essay will interpret many passages and situations from the book in chronological order with an interesting theory at the end.
Oedipus complex is a concept that has existed for many years. Only relatively recently …show more content…

Hamlet realizes that the cup has been poisoned, presented by King Claudius. He then forces the cup to the king’s mouth, effectively killing him. Shortly after, Hamlet mysteriously spoke “Follow my mother” (V.ii.358) - then became furious, insulting his mother, “Wretched queen, adieu.” (V.ii.365) This particular insult is because she did not satisfy Hamlet’s subconscious wishes of going for him instead of inferior Claudius. In addition to having never resolved his father-issues and relationship with Gertrude. Hamlet is obsessed with Gertrude even after her death. Remember when Hamlet has killed his father, but he cannot possess her anymore. As a result, he feels that he doesn’t have any purpose to live. Hence, he is more willing to die and he …show more content…

Consequently, she told Hamlet, “This is the very coinage of your brain.” (III.iv.104-6) Oedipus complex is a possible side effect - or even the cause - of this hallucination. Although, this would mean Horatio and other men who also saw the ghost in Act 1 all somehow had Oedipus complexes. Shakespeare successfully conceals the Oedipus complex in Hamlet. It is an excellent story of a man who couldn’t overcome his desires. Shakespeare cleverly incorporated Oedipus complex before it even had a name. Hamlet wants to kill his uncle because he is the new “father” by being in his position. Hamlet has myriads of passages that could be interpreted in many ways. It would be physically impossible to list all possible theories here. This makes the tragedy of Hamlet so

Show More
Related

  • Topics Deeply Hidden in Hamlet by Williams Shakespeare

    2200 Words  | 5 Pages

    There are many topics deeply hidden in the works of William Shakespeare. One of his greatest pieces of works is the story of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Not only are the words of Shakespeare meaningful, but there are also many follow up pieces of literature that contain important interpretations of the events in this play. These works about Hamlet are extremely beneficial to the reader. I have found four of these works and will use them as sources throughout this essay. The first source is “The Case of Hamlet’s Conscience,” by Catherine Belsey, and it focuses on the topic of Hamlet’s revenge in the play. The second source is “’Never Doubt I Love’: Misreading Hamlet,” by Imtiaz Habib, and it explains a lot of information about Hamlet’s “love” for Ophelia. The third source is “Shakespeare’s Hamlet, III.i.56—88,” by Horst Breuer, and it talks in depth about the issue of suicide in Hamlet. The fourth and final source is “Shakespeare’s Hamlet 1.2.35-38,” by Kathryn Walls, and it describes the significance of the role the Ghost plays throughout Hamlet. There are many different confusing parts in Hamlet and the best way to fully understand the play is to understand all of these parts. By understanding every miniscule detail in the play, it creates a different outlook on the play for the reader. In this essay, I will explain these confusing topics, as well as explain why the sources are helpful and what insight they can bring. At the end is this essay, the reader will have a complete understanding and appreciation of the play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.

    Read More

  • Movie Essays - Oedipal Hamlet in Film

    1715 Words  | 4 Pages

    It has commonly been suggested by such disciples of Sigmund Freud as Ernest Jones that Shakespeare's character of Hamlet is the victim of an Oedipus complex. While any reading of the play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark that focuses on the text and not the psychoanalytical fads of the current age disproves any notion of Hamlet's oedipal nature, many film artists have followed popular psychology and have adopted this theory for the screen. Whether out of precedent, pressure, or some need to discover some complex in Hamlet, this has become a very popular trend for filmmakers. Seeing as how it is impossible to do a production of Hamlet without addressing Hamlet's relationship with Gertrude, Hamlet, Sr., and Claudius, the following will be a discussion of several filmic Hamlets, and the presence, or absence of these Freudian notions.

    Read More

  • No Oedipal Complex Found in Hamlet

    1143 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Oedipus complex theory proposes that Hamlet desires his mother and wishes to kill his father because he is jealous of their closeness.  This is not the case in Hamlet.  Hamlet's actions which follow the Oedipus complex are for completely different reasons than Freud's theory states.  Hamlet is not secretly in love with Gertrude, nor does he desire her physically.  He also does not feel jealous of Claudius.  Hamlet does not suffer from the Oedipus complex because he does not follow the pattern of this theory.

    Read More

  • Compare Hamlet And Oedipus

    1275 Words  | 3 Pages

    Both Oedipus and Hamlet are tragic heroes because they contains all the characteristics needed to be considered one. Hamlet is a prince that had to see his mother get married again after his father unexpectedly died. A ghost appears around the castle and he claims that he is the king. He also tells Hamlet that he was murder which causes Hamlet to become skeptical. In order to confirm what the ghost says he conducts some investigations. It’s through a play, “The murder of Gonzago,” that Hamlet is able to confirm that what the ghost told him was completely true. After Hamlet discovers this he has to decide whether to bring an end to Claudius or let him be. One can consider this to be one of Hamlet’s biggest flaw. Hamlet shows his indecisive side. Hamlet can’t make a decision quickly which eventually leads him towards his defeat and also the suffering of people he is close to. “To be, or not to be” (Shakespeare 1750). A famous quote from Hamlet, but what does it mean? The quote comes directly from a Hamlet’s speech on whether it is better to be alive or dead. Hamlet goes on and on like a broken record discussing if death is the most appropriate thing

    Read More

  • tragoed Comparing Tragedy in Hamlet and Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)

    624 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many reasons why both of these characters are classified as tragic figures. First off Oedipus' fate was determined from birth, and no one knew Hamlet's fate. Oedipus's parents sent him off to be killed, and Hamlet's father was killed by his brother Claudius.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Acts Morally, Harms Others by his Actions, and Realizes his Tragic Limits

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet is Shakespeare’s most famous work of tragedy. Throughout the play the title character, Hamlet, tends to seek revenge for his father’s death. Shakespeare achieved his work in Hamlet through his brilliant depiction of the hero’s struggle with two opposing forces that hunt Hamlet throughout the play: moral integrity and the need to avenge his father’s murder. When Hamlet sets his mind to revenge his fathers’ death, he is faced with many challenges that delay him from committing murder to his uncle Claudius, who killed Hamlets’ father, the former king. During this delay, he harms others with his actions by acting irrationally, threatening Gertrude, his mother, and by killing Polonius which led into the madness and death of Ophelia. Hamlet ends up deceiving everyone around him, and also himself, by putting on a mask of insanity. In spite of the fact that Hamlet attempts to act morally in order to kill his uncle, he delays his revenge of his fathers’ death, harming others by his irritating actions. Despite Hamlets’ decisive character, he comes to a point where he realizes his tragic limits.

    Read More

  • Hamlet-identity Crisis

    1845 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare’s Hamlet is arguably one of the best plays known to English literature. It presents the protagonist, Hamlet, and his increasingly complex path through self discovery. His character is of an abnormally complex nature, the likes of which not often found in plays, and many different theses have been put forward about Hamlet's dynamic disposition. One such thesis is that Hamlet is a young man with an identity crisis living in a world of conflicting values.

    Read More

  • The Oedipus Complex

    1749 Words  | 4 Pages

    Inspired by Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and his analyses of his own and patients’ psychological behavior, Sigmund Freud developed the Oedipus complex. Freud believed that dreams are suppressed oedipal urges, and that these urges are universal to humankind. Opposition to the theory’s name is common, since many believe that Oedipus Rex has a profounder meaning than Freud asserts. Through the content of the play, Sigmund Freud supports his complex by shining light on Oedipus’s tragic, yet inevitable prophecy.

    Read More

  • Free Essays - Hamlet as a Tragic Hero

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the play’s tragic hero, Hamlet exhibits a combination of good and bad traits.  A complex character, he displays a variety of characteristics throughout the play’s development.  When he is first introduced in Act I- Scene 2, one sees Hamlet as a sensitive young prince who is mourning the death of his father, the King.  In addition, his mother’s immediate marriage to his uncle has left him in even greater despair.   Mixed in with this immense sense of grief, are obvious feelings of anger and frustration.  The combination of these emotions leaves one feeling sympathetic to Hamlet; he becomes a very “human” character.  One sees from the very beginning that he is a very complex and conflicted man, and that his tragedy has already begun.

    Read More

  • Sanity In Hamlet

    2032 Words  | 5 Pages

    One of the most popular characters in Shakespearean literature, Hamlet endures difficult situations within the castle he lives in. The fatal death of his father, and urge for revenge leads Hamlet into making unreasonable decisions. In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Hamlet’s sanity diminishes as the story progresses, impacting the people around him as well as the timing and outcome of his revenge against Claudius.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's Oedipus Complex

    685 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet’s “Oedipus Complex” “Hamlet is another of the great creations of tragic poetry. What is it that inhibits him in fulfilling the task set him by his father’s ghost?.Hamlet is able to do anything—except take vengeance on the man who did away with his father and took that father’s place with his mother, the man who shows him the repressed wishes of childhood realized. Thus the loathing which should drive him on to revenge is replaced in him by self-reproaches, by scruples of conscience, which remind him that he himself is literally no better than the sinner whom he is to punish. ”- Sigmund Freud.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's Fatal Flaw

    783 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet is a scholar, speaker, actor, and prince. For some reason, Hamlet is not able to avenge his father's death without considerable delay. There is one major flaw in Hamlet's character which causes him to postpone the murder of Claudius. I believe that this flaw is Hamlet's idealism. While his idealism is a good trait, in this case, Hamlet's environment and his...

    Read More

  • Hamlet as the Tragic Hero

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet is the best known tragedy in literature today. Here, Shakespeare exposes Hamlet’s flaws as a heroic character. The tragedy in this play is the result of the main character’s unrealistic ideals and his inability to overcome his weakness of indecisiveness. This fatal attribute led to the death of several people which included his mother and the King of Denmark. Although he is described as being a brave and intelligent person, his tendency to procrastinate prevented him from acting on his father’s murder, his mother’s marriage, and his uncle’s ascension to the throne.

    Read More

  • Hamlet- A Revenge Tragedy

    717 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedies. At first glance, it holds all of the common occurrences in a revenge tragedy which include plotting, ghosts, and madness, but its complexity as a story far transcends its functionality as a revenge tragedy. Revenge tragedies are often closely tied to the real or feigned madness in the play. Hamlet is such a complex revenge tragedy because there truly is a question about the sanity of the main character Prince Hamlet. Interestingly enough, this deepens the psychology of his character and affects the way that the revenge tragedy takes place. An evaluation of Hamlet’s actions and words over the course of the play can be determined to see that his ‘outsider’ outlook on society, coupled with his innate tendency to over-think his actions, leads to an unfocused mission of vengeance that brings about not only his own death, but also the unnecessary deaths of nearly all of the other main characters in the revenge tragedy.

    Read More

  • Inconsistency in The Character of Hamlet

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    The perfection of Hamlet’s character has been called in question - perhaps by those who do not understand it. The character of Hamlet stands by itself. It is not a character marked by strength of will or even of passion, but by refinement of thought and sentiment. Hamlet is as little of the hero as a man can be.  He is a young and princely novice, full of high enthusiasm and quick sensibility - the sport of circumstances, questioning with fortune and refining on his own feelings, and forced from his natural disposition by the strangeness of his situation.

    Read More

More about Examples Of Oedipus Complex In Hamlet

Open Document