The Pararchy Of Human Needs In William Shakespeare's Hamlet

An individual 's need to reconcile with their uncertainties from their past to better their present and future, often results in unexpected circumstances causing more difficulties in their life. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, self-actualization, esteem, love and belonging, safety and physiological needs are essentials in an individual’s life in order to prosper. In the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, he uses the main character to represent the idea of an individuals need to reconcile by showing his necessity to get revenge from his father’s murderer, although the only gratification he receives from it is the idea of him trying to be a worthy son or the idea of “self-actualization and safety” from the human need

Like Hamlet, Laertes in this play was fighting to achieve a similar goal. Following his father’s death by Hamlet, Laertes took it upon himself to duel Hamlet in order to seek revenge. Humans often have a similar motive which is to achieve their goals regardless of the consequences they would have to deal with for the sake of bettering their futures. For Laertes to continue on with his life being shadowed by the guilt of his father’s murder while he was away meaning to enjoy life would be more than what he could live with. His need to duel Hamlet not only for the sake of being a good son, but also proving himself to others around him shows that his ego and pride also played a role in his goals and we understand that motive when he says “Let come what comes; only I 'll be revenged most thoroughly for my father”. His battle with Hamlet not only resulted in Hamlet’s death but also his, which for most readers would seem an honorable death. Although Laertes’ character was not a major example of “reconciliation” in the play, it portrayed a vivid idea behind a human’s need to revisit the past to rid themselves of any guilt that may come back to haunt