Looking Below the Surface of Hamlet Essay - 2522 Words

The mystery of Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a phantom that has haunted students throughout the centuries. Hamlet is a complete enigma; a puzzle students have tried to piece together since his introduction into the school curriculum. Throughout the course of Hamlet, the student is constantly striving to rationalize Hamlet’s odd behavior, through the play’s written text. In doing so, many students mistakenly draw their conclusions based on the surface content of Hamlet’s statements and actions. When drawing into question Hamlet’s actions as well as his reasons for acting, many assume that Hamlet himself is fully aware of his own motives. This assumption in itself produces the very matter in question. Take for example Hamlet’s†¦show more content†¦The key to understanding Hamlet lies in the realization of the unconscious energy that provokes him to action and inaction. By channeling into Hamlet’s unconscious, providing both Freudian and Jungian psychoanalytical perspectives, Hamlet’s true unconscious motivation will be uncovered, and the mystery of Hamlet will be silenced. The term consciousness refers to one’s awareness of internal and external stimuli. The unconscious contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below the surface of awareness but that nonetheless exert great influence on behavior.(Weiten) Jung and Freud agree upon the existence of the unconscious, but their perspectives are vastly different. The core of the Freudian perspective is centered around Hamlet’s relationship with his mother, and the aforementioned example concerning Hamlet and King Claudius. According to the Freudian view, Hamlet is driven by unconscious sexual desire and aggravation. This sexual aggression is directed towards his mother and Claudius. The overall analysis of Hamlet’s behavior is represented in Jones’ statement, So far as I can see, there is no escape from the conclusion that the cause of Hamlet’s hesitancy lies in some unconscious source of repugnance to his task When Hamlet first hears the ghost’s call for revenge, he answers: Haste me to know’t, that I with wings as swift As mediation or the thoughts of love, May sweep toShow MoreRelated The Ghost in Kenneth Brannaghs Hamlet Essay1518 Words   |  7 PagesBrannaghs Hamlet William Shakespeares Hamlet is a drama which has been renound for its content and depiction of characters. Over the years, it has gone through many variations of interpretations and criticisms. One such criticism is the nature of the ghost who takes the form of Hamlets dead father. At first glance, it may be sufficient to accept the ghost as the spirit of Hamlets dead father who returns to the land of the living in order to have his son avenge his murder. 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