Psychology Probe of Hamlet

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Psychology Probe of Hamlet The tragic vision of Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, is one of his most notable plays of all time. The play focuses on the protagonist, Hamlet, who experiences a mixture of emotions after the death of his father, King Hamlet, and the remarriage of his mother, Gertrude. Throughout the play, the unconscious retains the unpleasant emotions in Hamlet’s mind, playing as a role of defence against the internal conflicts. Neglecting emotional aspects in various situations, Hamlet analyzes the pain and rationalizes unpleasant feelings. He sublimates or redirects an unacceptable desire into an alternative action. Often questioning his beliefs, he hesitates and creates various meaningless acts. Conflicts also rise with his obsessions for his mother. His constant questioning of his mother’s sexuality is driven the conditions of Oedipus complex. The protagonist, Hamlet, is an important character in the play as he displays numerous psychological conditions, thus can be analyzed and render a more thorough interpretation of the play. The protagonist, Hamlet, does not feel emotional aspects in certain situations, such as his father’s death. His constant mourning over his father’s death is an intellectualization of this sorrowful moment. He rationalizes the unpleasant feelings in his mind and analyzes the causes of his pain: Like Niobe, all tears. Why she, even she— O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned longer!—married with my uncle, My father’s brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules. (Hamlet, I, ii, 149 – 153) This text reveals his intellectualization over the death of his father. Hamlet reasons that the cause of his sorrow is due to his mother’s haste to a r... ... middle of paper ... ... protagonist Hamlet is not someone who takes action thus can be thoroughly analyzed through his relentless speech. His conscious constantly battles against the internal conflict, especially his Oedipus complex for his mother Gertrude. Although in attempts his conscious actions were driven by unconscious mind which redirects his murderous intention into meaningless deeds. It was nonetheless useless as he eventually dies together with other characters. The play Hamlet is indeed a tragedy but thus can be further understand via thorough psychological analysis of the protagonist Hamlet. Works Cited Brizee, Allen. “Psychoanalytic Critism (1930s to present).” purdue.edu. Purdue University, 21 April. 2010. Web. 20 April. 2011. < http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/04/> Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Toronto: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Canada inc., 1988.

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