In Psycho-Analytical Theory, The Oedipus complex is a child's innate sexual desire that is directed at parents of the opposite sex. At the same time as the child grows older, he learns to control these irrational and innate emotions and begins to think of homosexual parents as models. From that point of view, I think Hamlet, the character of Shakespeare's famous play Hamlet, can be a great example of this. The way Shakespeare interpret the psychological complexities of Hamlet, the play is very effective to the critics through the Oedipus complex.
Undoubtedly Shakespeare’ Hamlet is one of the best text in English Language and literature. Now we are going to look at the story of Hamlet through the Oedipal lens and looking for examples of parts of the complex in the psychoanalytic theory. Hamlet story revolves around a young man almost coming of age and doing this through killing uncle Claudius killed his father and more specifically disparage his honour and manhood as the next heir to the family. Claudius entered the scene of Elsinore so quickly after Hamlet’s Father death without any sort of preparation. Hamlet feels betrayed by him and his mother for not taking the time to get it sold to him or think of his dead father which spiralled into his anger. It’s like seeing the Christmas lights come up a day after Halloween like could you just give me a second to rationalize this whole thing pieces. But through the lens of the Oedipal complex Hamlet’s anger, the sudden marriage could be seen in another way. Hamlet’s very deep and primal urges that he wants someday to be the one to kill his father and inherit his power wife and wealth for his own. Hamlet being the heir to a kingdom makes this more apparent because he wants to inherit the kingdom and everything else which is once powerful father had dominion but hamlet never got to do this. Because for his uncle Claudius. The abalones show that Hamlet’s hanks towards Claudius are that he believes he should be the one in the throne room at his mother’s side. The power is his and the people around him are robbing him of this. But he does not only blame Claudius for all of this rather to his mother for letting another man take her. In the first part of the play, we see Hamlet becomes very derisive and contemptuous to his mother."Seems, madam? Nay, it is, I know not "seems." (1.2.76).
When Hamlet mentions his father’s love for Gertrude angry at how she threw it all away he also references similar subconscious love for her in the same way as his father. Part of the Oedipus Complex is to not who imagines oneself with their mother for any short of unique attraction, what the son wants is to replace his father in every shape and form and when recounting the mother-father relationship to someone want to recreate it with himself in the shoes of his father. This idea is why the Oedipus Complex usually takes place in the very young man because as the older the son gets the more he experiences different relationships with himself included and that want kind of dies down once the parents are not the only example of a relationship the son gets to see. That’s exactly what Hamlet is doing here. He is recounting his parent's relationship with himself in the place of Hamlet since here and then proclaiming what a frail woman she is for replacing Hamlet both himself and his father with Claudius.
Another example in the play that many psychoanalysis points to is very edible also Mel Gibson who played this earl way to enthusiastically and made me very comfortable is the scene in which Hamlet confronts his mother ‘half-mad’ over her relationship with the king. The scene is where a lot happens including Polonius getting needed but the conversation between Hamlet and his mother is where he buries her with insults and ramblings about how upset and betrayed he feels following her marriage to Claudius. He calls her evil in a villain and also makes to note to tell her of his jealousy regarding what qualifies as gets to a suitor.
Hamlet’s jealousy and anger toward Claudius in that kind of relationship with his mother is cancer anxiety at play. Hamlet feels emasculated by Claudius taking a sense of honour his kingdom, his family and of course the job of killing his father and marrying his mother. The worry is bigger than anything physical. It’s thought of losing power which is very real for hamlet.
When we search for the effect of Ophelia character from Oedipus Complex, Ophelia is kind of naive young girl who is just there for Hamlet to take his frustration out upon. She exists but mostly as a stepping stone for Hamlet’s anger for Gertrude. At the same time throughout the play, we find no existence of love for Ophelia in Hamlet’s mind. But when Hamlet insults Ophelia by telling this"Or if/ thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know/ well enough what monsters you make of them. To a /nunn'ry, go, and quickly too" (3.1.136-139). he feels hurt.
So all in all Hamlet is a perfect demonstration of a young boy falling into the subconscious developmental cycle of the Oedipus Complex. In conclusion, we can say, the Oedipus Complex whether you believe in it or not is a big underlying theme in habits depending on one’s interpretation.
Works Cited:
Literary Articles Contributors, “A Psychoanalytic Reading of Hamlet,” literary articles, August 9, 2013
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark .” n.d. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Web. 25 April 2018.
The Editors Of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Oedipus complex”, Encyclopedia Britannica, October 02, 2020
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