Oedipal Complex in Hamlet Essay -- Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Hamlet and the Oedipal Complex In Shakespeares Hamlet, the title of respect characters important, and only flaw, is his delay. This seems to constitute the central wear in Hamlet. By the exposition of tragedy, there should exist a flaw in the character of the main hero, who is a great personality that is engaged in a fight down that ends catastrophically. Various sources for Hamlets delay are given. Important issues like madness, drab and cowardice are discussed, but the evidence reveals that he is capable of swift march, we adjudge him as an intelligent man and can therefore conclude that he is only pretending madness. To regard him simply as suffering from melancholy is not a sufficient explanation as he is gauge to avenge the death of his father, but cannot bring himself to take action. It is obvious that the reason for not carrying out the revenge is not due to any incorrupt apprehensions or dismay of divine retribution. There is something special about this travail that makes it impossible for Hamlet to carry out the deed. The inability to take action stems from distinctive feelings within Hamlet, his Oedipal Complex. Hamlet has the perfect opportunity to knock off Claudius in Act 3 Scene 3, yet he fails to seize it. He fears that killing Claudius will automatically send Claudius to heaven without punishment. Hamlet himself remarks And direct Ill dot. And so a goes to heaven and so I am revenged. That would be scanned A scoundrel kills my father, and for that I, his sole son do this same villain to heaven. (3.3.74-78). Hamlet may believe he is delaying from fear of sending Claudius to a heavenly hereafter however, there are times when Hamlet could admit killed Claudius when he was not at prayer. Claudius is not ... ... he is delaying out of fear is invalid. Hamlet also may have plenty of time to kill Claudius when he is not in prayer, so any interpretation that includes Hamlets concerns for Claudius afterlife i s also invalid. Both of these interpretations rely on Hamlet being witting of his actions. If Hamlet is not conscious of his behaviour, it must be because his desire stems from that part of him in which he is unaware, his id. Works Cited and Consulted Guerin, Wilfred L., Earle Labor, Lee Morgan, Jeanne C. Reeseman, and John R. Willingham. A enchiridion of Critical Approaches to Literature. New York Oxford University Press, 1992. Leong, Virginia. The Oedipal Complex. 06 December 1997. (07 December 1997) Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The Riverside Shakespeare. ED. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston Haughton Mifflin Company, 1974.