HAMLET (Oedipus Complex)
Imogen Evans
Salmon
Hamlet Research Paper
4 February 2013 Serving as a legendary piece of literature, Hamlet has transcended beautifully through time, not only hosting many archetypal elements but also presenting an affectation of the Oedipus complex. Many conclude that Hamlet’s character boldly displays the Oedipal complex through his relationship with his mother, which also relates to his procrastination and relationship with his father. By definition, the Oedipal complex outlines the description of a boy’s desire to possess his mother in a sexual fashion and the jealousy boys have towards their fathers. This characteristic has been studied analytically, allowing scholars to develop the theory in a seamless way, in that the claims are supported adequately. The frequently discussed idea that Hamlet possesses the Oedipal tendencies is represented by the origins of the affections boys have towards their mothers and how they appear in Hamlet, the competition for his mother’s love and his symbolic procrastination, and the dramatization of Hamlet’s sexuality by Laurence Olivier. The Freudian Oedipal theory within Hamlet has overwhelming had the greatest impact in literary understanding, and these influences are explained through a broad knowledge of the origins of the Oedipal complex. Sigmund Freud named the psychologically universal idea that boys desire their mothers the Oedipal Complex, meaning the Freudian Oedipal Theory refers to his works. Robson notes the connection between Hamlet and Oedipus by stating “Hamlet has its roots in the same soil as Oedipus Rex, and it is left to Freud to ‘unearth’ the connection between the two plays” (Robson 55). This connection remains extremely evident in Hamlet’s character, as the parallel proves to be the Oedipal complex personified. Ernest Jones explains the exceptional qualities Hamlet portrayed by writing “As a child Hamlet had experienced the warmest affection for his mother, and this, as is always so, had
Salmon
Hamlet Research Paper
4 February 2013 Serving as a legendary piece of literature, Hamlet has transcended beautifully through time, not only hosting many archetypal elements but also presenting an affectation of the Oedipus complex. Many conclude that Hamlet’s character boldly displays the Oedipal complex through his relationship with his mother, which also relates to his procrastination and relationship with his father. By definition, the Oedipal complex outlines the description of a boy’s desire to possess his mother in a sexual fashion and the jealousy boys have towards their fathers. This characteristic has been studied analytically, allowing scholars to develop the theory in a seamless way, in that the claims are supported adequately. The frequently discussed idea that Hamlet possesses the Oedipal tendencies is represented by the origins of the affections boys have towards their mothers and how they appear in Hamlet, the competition for his mother’s love and his symbolic procrastination, and the dramatization of Hamlet’s sexuality by Laurence Olivier. The Freudian Oedipal theory within Hamlet has overwhelming had the greatest impact in literary understanding, and these influences are explained through a broad knowledge of the origins of the Oedipal complex. Sigmund Freud named the psychologically universal idea that boys desire their mothers the Oedipal Complex, meaning the Freudian Oedipal Theory refers to his works. Robson notes the connection between Hamlet and Oedipus by stating “Hamlet has its roots in the same soil as Oedipus Rex, and it is left to Freud to ‘unearth’ the connection between the two plays” (Robson 55). This connection remains extremely evident in Hamlet’s character, as the parallel proves to be the Oedipal complex personified. Ernest Jones explains the exceptional qualities Hamlet portrayed by writing “As a child Hamlet had experienced the warmest affection for his mother, and this, as is always so, had
Cited: Carroll, Joseph. “Intentional Meaning in Hamlet: An Evolutionary Perspective.” Style. Vol. 44. 2010. 236-240. Print. Detmold, George. “Hamlet.” Shakespeare for Students. Ed. Mark W. Scott. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1992. 123-128. Print. Jones, Ernest. Hamlet and Oedipus. New York: W.W. Norton and Company Inc. Print Robson, Mark. “Oedipal Visuality: Freud, Romanticism, Hamlet.” 55-64. Print. Simmons, James R. Jr. “In the Rank Sweat of an Enseamed Bed”: Sexual Aberration and the Paradigmatic Screen Hamlets.” 111-117. Print.