Hamlet and the Psychological approach After enveloping myself in the world of Shakespeare’s tragic play/story of Hamlet, I without a doubt believe that the best way for me to critically analyze the literature is to approach it in a psychological critic mindset. In relations to Hamlet a question keeps intriguing my mind, in which, why does one man choose to carryout revenge, how a lust for power can bend one’s own flesh and blood? Another question that I have is whether or not Hamlet is indeed crazy?
If so, how would friendship function? Does he have a true friend? If so, who? Does he exhibit the behavior of a real friend? The first quote that centers itself on the discussion between Polonius and Ophelia in regards to Hamlet’s disposition (pg. 79 104-108. ) The two characters find Hamlet’s behavior strange “…And thrice his head thus waving to Polonius up and down, he raises a sigh so piteous and profound as it did seem to shatter all his bulk and end his being. The reason why this quote would be useful in my psychological analysis of the text is because the scene ties in the plot of the story, but it also allows one to question the emotions one might go through in a situation like the one Hamlet finds himself in. Hamlet undergoes a behavior change once he discovers the treachery of his dear uncle Claudius. To me it seems as though he is unsure about what steps to take to avenge the death of his father it brings up the question of how humans react to certain situations.
The discussion between the two characters leads them to speculate as to why Hamlet is behaving in such a melancholy demeanor. They’re misdirected beliefs unfortunately provides me with the opportunity to analyze their perspective, and how this changed the dynamics of the story and whether or not I believe it relates to human behavior in real life. The second quote that I can use to support my thesis relates to the superposition of men, how ones belief in religion and superposition can determine the outcomes of decisions. I think it be no other but e’en so. Ell may it sort that this portentous figure comes armed through our watch so like the king that was and is the question of these wars. ” (pg. 15 lines 120-123. ) To me it seems as though at the time Shakespeare wrote the play, there was so much emphasis on superposition’s and peoples religious convictions, that throughout the book, one can clearly tell that religion was at the back of many of the characters minds in the terms of what they chose to do in certain situations.
This brings me back to my critique; it allows me to try to understand how religious beliefs in today’s current society, that people are not so likely to center their decisions on religious beliefs as was done in Shakespeare’s time. As Hamlets decisions are made by certain events that occur in the play, Hamlet seems to impact many of his friend’s beliefs in which its right for him to revenge from his father’s death since his religious beliefs requires to do so and also since others believe that he should.
Trying to analyze religion in the book allows me to ponder whether or not it was a strong motivator in the decisions the characters carried out. The last quote that I will bring up in my proposal relates to Hamlet’s supposed “friends”; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The quotes I chose to go into detail in my proposal deals with certain situations in life that I find meaningful, and that cause men’s behavior to dramatically twist and turn into a uncontrollable reaction to the many paths one can take in life. The final quote is the following piece from pg. 97 lines 245 from Hamlet: “As the indifferent children of the earth. The quote is about a conversation Hamlet is having with his friends. The reason why I chose this quote is because I believe the two friends of Hamlet both have a certain relationship with Hamlet that compels them to act in a certain way being in the role of a “friend. : I want to take the time to address “friendship” and how the interactions between friends in the play: Hamlet, relate to life as a whole. While trying to gather some information on this subject I have found a good example of the psychological approach that Shakespeare is trying to give in this play. Hamlet does not fulfill this duty until absolutely forced to do so by physical circumstances” this quote I got from the article proves that the way in which Hamlet went into seeking revenge for his father’s murder became enlarged by the social interference that was occurring. The ghost for example, it kept creeping up on Hamlet giving him clues, turning him into someone he wasn’t by making him do things that were inappropriate for Hamlets lifestyle. The killing of his uncle Claudius was an example of what happened by the ghost.
Hamlets view of Claudius represents Hamlet’s repressed hostility towards his father as a rival for his mother’s affection. This new king- father is the symbolic perpetrator of the very deeds towards which the son is impelled by his own unconscious motives: murder of his father and incest with his mother. Hamlet cannot bring himself to kill Claudius because to do so he must, in a psychological sense, commit suicide. The main idea in the Hamlet: The Oedipus Complex article was that Oedipus complex approach that Hamlet gave in this play.
Oedipus is a group of largely dynamically repressed ideas and feelings which concentrate on the desire to possess the parent of the opposite sex and eliminate the parent of the same sex. In this case that would be Ophelia. Hamlet and Ophelia were madly in love. Although after watching his mother, Hamlet thinks that every woman is weak and only wants sex. Which then gives him the thought Ophelia might be one of the weak woman. As the story went on Hamlet gets even angrier at her when he finds out that all he wants Is power and if she marries Hamlet she will have more power than him.
This is the reason in which he tells Ophelia that she can no longer see Hamlet. As Polonius hides behind a curtain in the Queens room, Hamlet begins to speak to his mother. As the conversation grows more emotional Hamlet looks into empty airspace and speaks. This is where I think Hamlet begins to lose control of his own sanity. Hamlet believes to be seeing the ghost of his father. The Queen sees nothing and at this point has no doubts that her sons mind is not right. Hamlet then hears a faint noise in the room. As he approaches the curtain he lunges at it with his dagger and believes he has stabbed Claudius.
It turns out to be Polonius and what leads me to believe that Hamlet has possibly lost his mind is that he feels no remorse for his action. He didn’t intend to kill Polonius yet as he lies dead on the floor he simply drags him to the next room, and goes on with his plot for revenge. Hamlets madness eventually catches up to him as Claudius uses it as an excuse to send Hamlet away to England. The psychological approach in Hamlet consists of the three main factors of psychological approaches, Behaviorism, Psychodynamic, and Humanistic.
All three theories, psychodynamic, humanistic, and behavioral, add to the understanding of the entirety of human experience. Many psychologists use some impression from more than one of these theories. Each theory defines the causes and outcomes of behavior in its own way. The psychodynamic theory looks at behavior as driven by instinctive forces, inner conflicts, and conscious and unconscious motivations. In which in Hamlet, the peers around him push him into being the hero and to avenge pay back from his father’s death. The Psychodynamic theory also says that the way we balance the forces of the mind, it gives us our personality.
This differs from the behavioral theory in that it says that our behavior is shaped by our environment. The setting in which the play took place also impacted Hamlet psychologically since the play is taken in a old English form in which religion as well as beliefs differ in which one reacts to things. Was Hamlets madness merely a means to an end or is it genuine? Personally I think Hamlets madness started out as a cover-up identity that he controlled, but as the story went on he lost control and fell in and out of genuine madness.
From the start of the story Hamlet decides his revenge plot will be a lot easier if people think he is going mad and therefore pay less attention to some of the thing he says or does. Which then also brings me back to the tragic flaw Hamlet had, which was Hamlet indecisiveness and procrastination. Because of this, he finds it difficult to move forward on anything. For instance, he wants to believe the ghost, his father, but who’s to say the ghost isn’t lying? So, he writes a scene in the play for the visiting players which are supposed to solidify everything for him and help him make his decision.
He watches Claudius, and gets the reaction Hamlet is hoping for, yet he still can’t decide what to do. Indecision, procrastination and stagnation, Hamlet is a hopeless case until it is way too late to do anything about it. By that time, Claudius is on to him, Claudius is a man of action. Hamlet is a thinker. Hamlet spends too much time thinking of what to do or not to do, while Claudius makes a plan and works the plan. As a result, nearly everyone Hamlet loves is dead by the end of Act V, due to his tragic flaw he had. Overall, the psychological approach is focused in friendship.
Friendship in Hamlet is a key word, which is the reason why many of his events and action took place. Hamlets actions were driven ever since he heard of his father’s death. I believe that his procrastination on what he should do and his genuine madness developed along the way cause him to disregard a better plan for a quick and easily revealed plan, which in the end causes him his life as well as others such as Polonius. I think it shows that he wanted to avenge his father’s death so badly that he caused himself to become mentally unstable or mentally ill.
