Hamlet and Oedipus: a Psychoanalytic Study to Find Hamlet’s Mystery
Hamlet and Oedipus: A Psychoanalytic Study to Find Hamlet’s Mystery
By Golnaz Zarbakhsh
I. Introduction
1. General Background
Hamlet, a tragedy by William Shakespeare, was first performed in 1601. It was perhaps written in mid-1599, and completed by 1601. The story of this play however was not unfamiliar to the people living in the Elizabethan Age; as it is said that a tragedy under the title of Hamlet had been existed before Shakespeare’s tragedy which was written, perhaps, by Thomas Kyd. It may be possible that Shakespeare rewrote and improved the previous play, but if it is to be true the first tragedy of Hamlet was not that much interesting or outstanding to be published or be remained in the history of English literature.
2. General Overview
The story of Shakespeare’s play is as follows:
It is only a month after the death of Old Hamlet, king of Denmark, that his widow Gertrude marries his brother Claudius. This event has oppressed Hamlet, the young prince, who is mournful for his father’s death. The young Hamlet mused on his mother’s unfaithfulness, hates his black-hearted uncle. His uncle has assumed the throne and drew his mother to adultery, because in Christianity it is unlawful to marry ones brother-in-law. His mother’s marriage has disappointed him so much that he wishes to die.
When his father’s ghost reveals the truth of his death to Hamlet and tells him that he was not killed by snakebite but by Claudius pouring poison into his ear, Hamlet’s grieving soul becomes so angry. The ghost commands Hamlet to avenge but without injuring Gertrude.
Hamlet is thinking of revenge, but he is afraid that he may saw a devilish ghost who wants to seduce him. He feigns madness. Polonius, the counselor, who wants to please the king, thinks that Hamlet has gone mad. He forces his daughter Ophelia to speak to Hamlet to figure out his real state of mind while he and the king are listening to them. Hamlet, once loved Ophelia with all his heart, now mistrusts
By Golnaz Zarbakhsh
I. Introduction
1. General Background
Hamlet, a tragedy by William Shakespeare, was first performed in 1601. It was perhaps written in mid-1599, and completed by 1601. The story of this play however was not unfamiliar to the people living in the Elizabethan Age; as it is said that a tragedy under the title of Hamlet had been existed before Shakespeare’s tragedy which was written, perhaps, by Thomas Kyd. It may be possible that Shakespeare rewrote and improved the previous play, but if it is to be true the first tragedy of Hamlet was not that much interesting or outstanding to be published or be remained in the history of English literature.
2. General Overview
The story of Shakespeare’s play is as follows:
It is only a month after the death of Old Hamlet, king of Denmark, that his widow Gertrude marries his brother Claudius. This event has oppressed Hamlet, the young prince, who is mournful for his father’s death. The young Hamlet mused on his mother’s unfaithfulness, hates his black-hearted uncle. His uncle has assumed the throne and drew his mother to adultery, because in Christianity it is unlawful to marry ones brother-in-law. His mother’s marriage has disappointed him so much that he wishes to die.
When his father’s ghost reveals the truth of his death to Hamlet and tells him that he was not killed by snakebite but by Claudius pouring poison into his ear, Hamlet’s grieving soul becomes so angry. The ghost commands Hamlet to avenge but without injuring Gertrude.
Hamlet is thinking of revenge, but he is afraid that he may saw a devilish ghost who wants to seduce him. He feigns madness. Polonius, the counselor, who wants to please the king, thinks that Hamlet has gone mad. He forces his daughter Ophelia to speak to Hamlet to figure out his real state of mind while he and the king are listening to them. Hamlet, once loved Ophelia with all his heart, now mistrusts
Cited: 1. Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism, An Introduction to Theory and Practice 2. Guerin, Wilfred L. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature 3. Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today, A User-Friendly Guide 4. Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms 5. Freud, Sigmund. The Interpretation of Dreams 6. Jones, Ernest. “The American Journal of Psychology”, Vol.21, No.1, (Jan.1910), The Oedipus Complex as an Explanation of Hamlet’s Mystery: A Study in Motive