Topic > Oedipus Complex in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays the qualities of Hamlet that Sigmund Freud found long after the play was made. Just when the relationship between Hamlet and his mother is examined, Freud's Oedipus complex hypothesis sounds. The Oedipus complex is a theory formulated by Freud that communicates that, The child takes both his parents, and especially one of them, as a matter of his sexual desires (51). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In light of this need to be with the parent of the opposite sex, conflict arises with the parent of the same sex. In the play, Hamlet shows an exceptional contradictory atmosphere towards his uncle Claudius since his mother remarried him. Village sees his mother's remarriage as disgusting and sees Claudius' execution as a way to free his mother from a corrupt marriage and also to avenge his father. The relationship between Villa and his mother similarly appeared more sexual than the normal mother-son relationship due to Hamlet's jargon and private relationship with his mother, and also his opposition to Claudius for his mother's goals. Freud did this and indicated them through the relationship between Hamlet and his mother. Villa's internal soliloquies reveal much about what he feels and also help to understand the possibility of the Oedipus complex within the character. Parts of the Oedipus complex can be seen and associated with Hamlet's first soliloquy. Here Hamlet takes care of himself, revealing his own particular appearance of torment. The main reason for Hamlet's torments is his mother's remarriage to Claudius, and not his father's death. This is demonstrated when Hamlet says With such skill to the forbidden sheets! /It is not and cannot be great. /But break, my heart, for I should hold my tongue (1.2.157-159). He is shocked by his mother's affection towards Claudio as he believes it is distorted. It can also be inferred that Hamlet is more stressed about his mother's marriage than his father's death since Hamlet does not indicate or express any concern about how his father is doing until the moment he sees the apparition. This fits with the Oedipus complex as it can be said that Hamlet subconsciously assumes that because his father is dead, all his resistance is gone and his mother should be his. Claudius' marriage to his mother does not fit what Hamlet needs and takes away his question of needs. Within Act Three, Scene Four, Hamlet's full level of affection for his mother is conveyed, which makes clear the complex Oedipal practices in the relationship due to the truth Hamlet makes several sexual inferences. In this scene Hamlet confronts his mother about her relationship with Claudius and her consideration in killing King Hamlet. Here Hamlet is as a general rule more stressed by his mother's sexual relationship than by anything else, including his father's revenge. For much of the scene, Hamlet focuses on his mother's sexual relationship with Claudius making various sexual ramifications and berating his mother with them. He communicates that she watches with depraved delight from her bed (3.4.93-94). It is possible that here Shakespeare expected to show how Hamlet's fury brought out all his stifled sexual needs for his mother in light of Hamlet's obsession with Gertrude's sexual competition. . These words reveal themselves in Hamlet's ferocity in light of the way he previously repressed them. It can be best illuminated by Freud when it satisfies mental stupor which is consequently doomed to early suppression (51), however,.