Hamlets Oedipus Complex Essays - 1190 Words

Various works of literature contain characters who embody the elements of the classic Oedipus Complex, that of a son with an undue and unhealthy attachment to his mother. D.H Lawrenceamp;#8217;s Sons and Lovers, along with other early modernist works, shows how a sonamp;#8217;s bond to his mother can lead to that characteramp;#8217;s major downfall. Even earlier than works of the late 19th Century does the Oedipus Complex appear, in this case, William Shakespeareamp;#8217;s Hamlet. Shakespeareamp;#8217;s play about the Prince of Denmark shows the beginning of an Oedipal Complex, with Hamletamp;#8217;s jealousy of his uncle Claudius for marrying his mother Gertrude and the rage that Hamletamp;#8217;s emulation causes.†¦show more content†¦He furthers his reasoning behind the marriage causing the depression, claiming that the union can do no good amp;#8220;But break [his] heart; (1.2.159). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Hamletamp;#8217;s explains his rage in the first act of the play, but it is not until scene 4 of the third act that we see the full view of his Oedipus Complex. Here, Gertrude is joined by Hamlet in a bedroom moments after Polonius, the Queenamp;#8217;s counselor, advises her to warn Hamlet that amp;#8220;his pranks have been too broad to bear with; (3.4.2). Hamlet, upon killing Polonius, compares his amp;#8220;bloody; act to that of amp;#8220;kill[ing] a king, and marry[ing] with his brother,; blatantly expressing his mortification and disapproval with Gertrudeamp;#8217;s marriage to Claudius(3.4.29). He then begins to berate his mother, but with many sexual references: nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;amp;#8220;That blurs the grace and blush of modesty, nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Calls virtue hypocrite, takes off the rose nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;From the fair forehead of an innocent love nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;And sets a blister there, makes marriage vowsShow MoreRelatedEssay on Hamlet and the Oedipus Complex1319 Words   |  6 Pages When examining Hamlet through the lens of the Oedipus complex, it is critical to first define and thoroughly explain the Oedipus complex, then to apply it to Hamlets relationships, before a final conclusion is reached. The Complexities of the Complex Before one can understand the Oedipus complex, one must understand Sigmund Freuds theory on infantile sexuality. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy points out that the roots of Freuds theory can be foundRead MoreHamlet and the Oedipus Complex1537 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a play about indecision, apprehension, and inner turmoil. Hamlet, the main protagonist, struggles within himself, attempting to muster the courage to avenge his father’s death by the hand of the current King, Claudius, who is also his late father’s brother. There seem to be many possible reasons for Hamlet’s delay in doing so. However, the one theory that answers all the questions is that Hamlet was possessed by his own Oedipus Complex , that is, he was deeply in loveRead MoreOedipus Complex in Hamlet Essay805 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus Complex in Hamlet In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet’s personality can be explained by the Oedipus Complex. Throughout the play there are many times where he proves that he has Oedipus Complex. Oedipus Complex was not around at the time that that Hamlet was written. It just shows that Shakespeare saw the same personality complex’ as Freud. Freud first named the Oedipus Complex Theory in his book , An Interpretation of Dreams, in 1899. Freud states The child takes both of its parents,Read More Hamlet and the Oedipus Complex Essay1229 Words   |  5 PagesHamlet and the Oedipus Complex  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeares play Hamlet contains very similar elements to Sophocles Greek Myth, Oedipus Rex. In the late 1800s through early 1900s, a Doctor based out of Vienna, named Sigmund Freud, developed a theory based on the events of the play Oedipus Rex, which has since been coined the Oedipus Complex.   Ernest Jones also applied his knowledge of Freudian psychology and wrote a persuasive paper suggesting that Hamlet cannot kill his uncle Claudius becauseRead More Hamlet and the Oedipus Complex Essay1218 Words   |  5 PagesHamlet and the Oedipus Complex Hamlet is the typical kind of son almost every father and mother would want: intelligent, loving, caring, strong and loyal. Yet, some scholars believe that he is just another emotional character, defying our eyes to think that his acts are innocent, when his real purpose is to take his mother for himself. This gives scholars, like Ernest Jones, the impression that Hamlet’s actions were encouraged by an Oedipus complex, characterized by feelings of intenseRead MoreOedipus-Complex In Shakespeares Hamlet1962 Words   |  8 Pagespsychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud, coined the term Oedipus-complex in 1910 when explaining a child’s psychological desire for his opposite-sex parent. Coupled with this desire is a bitter sense of rivalry with the parent of the same sex, as the child feels envious and compelled to win the affection of the coveted parent (Freud 19). Shakespeare’s Hamlet, although written prior to the development of this theory, is often referenced as a pr ime example of this complex. Hamlet famously descends into madness in an effortRead MoreOedipus Complex, Penis Envy, And The Tragedy Of Hamlet2112 Words   |  9 PagesAlthough it may be a difficult idea to grasp, Shakespeare employed some of Sigmund Freud’s concepts long before Freud himself was even a figment of his ancestor’s imagination. Many scholars discuss Shakespeare’s use of the Oedipus complex, penis envy, and many of Sigmund Freud’s other famous concepts and while a proxy family may not be a Freudian concept specifically, it certainly enables them. Many of Shakespeare’s works include a main character who has a strained relationship with their parentRead More No Oedipal Complex Found in Hamlet Essay1150 Words   |  5 Pages No Oedipal Complex Found in Hamlet nbsp; Some scholars have interpreted Hamlets actions throughout Hamlet to be the Oedipus complex.nbsp; According to the story of Oedipus, Laius, his father, learned from an oracle that Oedipus would kill him.nbsp; Laius then left his son to die on a mountain, where he was found and raised by the King of Corinth.nbsp; Oedipus was also told that he would someday kill his own father, and fled Corinth because he believed that the King of Corinth was his realRead More Sigmund Freuds Oedipus Complex Essay1355 Words   |  6 PagesOedipus Complex It is the fate of all of us, perhaps, to direct our first sexual impulse towards our mother and our first hatred and our first murderous wish against our father. - Sigmund Freud(Clark, 122) The Oedipus conflict or complex is a concept developed by Sigmund Freud to explain the origin of certain psychological disorders in childhood. It is defined as a childs unconscious desire for the exclusive love of the parent of the opposite sex. This desire includes jealousy toward the parentRead MoreHamlet As A Jealous Of Claudius1417 Words   |  6 PagesOn William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, after the assassination of his father, Hamlet thinks he is living in a world full of corruption and deceit, where everything is falling apart and everyone is against him. An imminent, exaggerated, and passionate love for his mother is his main feature. Although others argue that Hamlet’s obsession to murder Claudius is strictly to claim revenge for his father’s death, it is Hamlet’s obsessive desire to possess his mother in an unhealthy and, perhaps incestuous,