The Freudian Approach to Tragic Heroes

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The exploration of human nature is an endevour that has lasted for thousands of years. It is a vast psychological study that extends even to the artistic pursuits in dramatic plays. Oedipus Rex and Hamlet are two plays that are prime examples of this. In both plays, the character's traits, the motivations behind their actions, and their reactions to circumstance directly link them with the theories of Victorian Psychologist Sigmund Freud.

Sigmund Freud was the man who pioneered psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis focuses on an individuals unconcious thoughts and inherent desires. Freud theorized that there are three fundamental parts of the personality- the id, the ego, and the super ego. The id is completely unconscious and is dicated by the principle pleasure. The principle pleasure demands instant pleasure without any consequences. It is the most primative aspect of the human mind. The ego is the part of the personality that incorporated reality into both the id and the super ego. Through the reality principle, the ego will suppress the id's desires until an appropriate time, while drawing moral lines that the super ego imposes. The super ego is where the human conscience is found. Both unconscious and conscious, this is where personal feelings of what's right and wrong are found. All three parts are important as they are what makes the mind human.During the developmental stages, morality is learned learned from the child's parents, but as the child grows into an adult, personal experiences also play into the superego. Whereas the id craves pleasure, the super ego feels guilt and strives for the approval of authority.

These three componants are foundations for Freud's developmental theories, particulary the Oedipus Complex th...

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... the darker traits that they had observed in real people. Knowing this and remembering the different time stamps on each peice of writing, it is easy to see how Sigmund Freud's theories are applicable and reasonable.

Works Cited

Stevenson, David B. "Psychosexual Development." The Victorian Web: An Overview. The Victorian Web, 1992. Web. 2 Mar. 2011. .

"Dr. Freud's Hamlet." Index of /. Web. 1 Mar. 2011. .

"Freudian Outlook on Hamlet." DocShare - A New Way to Share Documents Online. Web. 1 Mar. 2011. .

Hibbison, Eric. "Oedipus vs. Hamlet." Home Page English 112 VCCS Litonline. 2003. Web. 4 Mar. 2011. .

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