Looking Below the Surface of Hamlet Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shakespea

The mystery of Shakespeares 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 Hamlets odd behavior, through the plays written text. In doing so, many students mistakenly draw their conclusions based on the surface content of Hamlets statements and actions. When drawing into question Hamlets actions as well as his argues 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 Hamlets hesitation to kill the king. Hamlet believes that his desire to kill King Claudius is driven by his fathers demand for revenge. If this were true, Hamlet would kill Claudius the moment he has the chance, if not the moment he knows for sure that Claudius is guilty of murder ing his father. Why does Hamlet hesitate? One essential call into question what Hamlet holds to be true. If Hamlets given motivation for killing the king is legitimate, then Claudius should die at about symbolize 3. Because Hamlets actions do not correspond with his given reasoning, integrity is forced to look for an alternate explanation for Hamlets behavior. In doing so, one will come to the conclusion that Hamlet is driven by forces other than what is obvious to the reader, as well as Hamlet himself. Given this example, one must(prenominal) denounce the assumption that Hamlet is aware of the forces that motivate him, and understand that Hamlets true motivation is unconscious This unconscious force is the true reason behind Hamlets mysterious behavior. In n... ...hree characters, his step-father being one. Thus, by digging into Hamlets unconscious, his true unconscious motives have been unveiled. In overlooking the obvious, the true force behind Hamlets actions and inaction has been revealed, resulting in a final product that is an extensive comprehension of Hamlets character, and is, as Gertrude would say more matter than art. Works cited Shakespeare, William. The Tradegy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. New York Washington Square Press, 1992 Hall, Calvin s. A Primer of Freudian Psychology New York harper and Row, 1954 Jones, Ernest. Hamlet and Oedipus. Newyork W W Norton and company, 1976 Platania, John. Jung for Beginners. New York Writers and Readers Publishing inc., 1997 Weiten, Wayne. Psychology Themes and Variations, Fourth Editon. Boston Brooks/Cole Publishing Co., 1998