The Id, Ego And Superego In Richard III, By Geoffrey Chaucer

Sigmund Freud identifies three aspects of the psyche - the id, ego, and superego – which influence every individual’s daily life. The id tells a person to eat, drink, sleep, and procreate in order to survive while the ego wears masks to interact with society. Lastly, the superego, also known as the conscience, informs a person’s morality. In Richard III, William Shakespeare presents secular characters who do not pay attention to religious or spiritual matters. Richard, the main character and Lord Protector of the future king, and Arcite, a knight, from The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer, use the three parts of their psyches in similar ways. Richard and Arcite each use their ids in negative manners when dealing with women. They each

When he finally goes to battle with Richmond, Richard’s horse dies; therefore, he has to fight on foot. This situation frightens Richard and causes him to yell during the battle, “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse” (143). Richard forgets about the courage that he feigns for society; he wishes for a horse to save him and says that he would rather give up the kingdom in order to save his life. He ends his bravery and does not make use of the ego that allows society to see his tough and powerful façade. Richard forgets about the mask he wears for the general public; he no longer behaves the way he and his ego want. Because Richard does not take advantage of his ego, the citizens of England stop thinking of him as a brave man who can rule the country, causing chaos in the battle until his death. Just like Richard forgets his ego, in The Canterbury Tales, Arcite overlooks the powerful mask that he wears with society when Theseus banishes him from his lands. He stops eating and drinking, causing him to thin. Instead of maintaining his usual physical strength, the way that the ego demands, he grows weak. When Arcite denies his ego, he removes himself from the stereotypical characteristics of a knight. This causes society not to recognize Arcite’s chivalry as a knight. Since Richard and Arcite stop caring about the ways in which society

Queen Margaret despises Richard and has no wish to see him as the next king. She prophesizes the death of Richard, giving a hint to his superego, but he ignores both his fate and his conscience. Margaret’s anger arises, and she says to Richard and Buckingham, “He…shall split thy heart with sorrow, remember Margaret was a prophetess” (128). She strongly believes in her prophecy and knows that once Richard dies, people will believe her vision. Margaret gives an important and worthy sign to Richard about his wrongdoings. However, Richard does not process the prophecy through his conscience in order to bring guilt upon himself. Richard goes against his superego and has no remorse to correct his mistakes; he stops his conscience from reaching perfection. Just like Richard must die because of not paying heed to Margaret’s prophecy, so too Arcite has to die due to his main need for physicality instead of spirituality. Arcite prays to Mars, the god of battle, to request that he win the fight, a physical aspiration. He also enters on the west side, the side where the sun sets; Chaucer uses this phrasing to say that Arcite has to “set” - die. Since a knight tells the tale of Arcite and Palamon, cupiditas, Arcite, has to die and caritas, Palamon, has to survive due to the laws of Courtly Romance. Entering on the west side warns Arcite that he follows the incorrect