Freudian+Analysis

=**Freudian Analysis**=

__**Freud's Psychoanalytic Approach:**__
The three basic components of a Freudian analysis consists of the id, ego, and superego. The id is the irrational, unconcious part of the mind. It consists of one's deepest and darkest desires. The superego is the part of the mind in which the desires of the id are filtered and censored. The superego is influenced by the moral principles accepted by society and tries to surpress the wants of the id. The ego is the decision making area, which is characterized as rational, logical, and conscious.

**__Hamlet's Psyche__:**
In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Hamlet continuously hesitates in killing King Claudius, even after learning of the latter’s guilt. This postponement represents a clash in Hamlet’s psyche. According to Freud, Hamlet’s actions are motivated primarily by an Oedipal complex, which is the idea that a child has an innate love for one’s mother and hatred for one’s father in childhood. However, an alternative explanation might be that Hamlet does not immediately kill Claudius due to a lack of conviction of the latter’s guilt.

According to Freud’s theory, Hamlet’s id is to sleep with his mother. In addition, Hamlet’s superego keeps his Oedipal instincts in check by providing the moral foundation that deters him from this sin. Claudius, who represents Hamlet’s id, has accomplished what Hamlet innately desires – to win Gertrude. Consequently, Hamlet cannot murder Claudius, as to do so would be to kill a part of himself. Only when Gertrude dies can Hamlet finally overcome his id and revenge the Ghost by killing Claudius.

To counter Freud’s contention that Hamlet is motivated by a deep, personal love for his mother, Hamlet does not treat his mother in a completely respectful manner. When describing Gertrude’s infidelity to his father, Hamlet exclaims, “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (16) and later chastises her directly in Act III, Scene 4. Therefore, Hamlet’s disgust at his mother’s crime appears to overpower any possible Oedipal instincts he may have. Additionally, Freud argues that Hamlet does not immediately kill Claudius because the latter has fulfilled the former’s Oedipal instincts. Although Claudius has undeniably killed Hamlet’s father, it does not seem likely that Hamlet hesitates in killing the king due to awe. Hamlet speaks contemptuously and angrily of Claudius, describing him as “A little more than kin, and less than kind!” (12). When Hamlet catches Claudius praying after the staged play, he still does not kill Claudius. Yet this might be out of a feeling of attaining maximum revenge, as Hamlet hopes to kill Claudius “when he is drunk asleep; or in his rage/…or about some act/That has no relish of salvation in’t” (103).

Consequently, this explanation does not completely explain Hamlet’s behavior. Instead, another perspective would be to look at the inner clash involved in committing a murder. This approach addresses Hamlet’s delay in a more universal manner, as the Oedipal complex is only limited to male children. Hamlet’s id urges him to kill others and commit suicide. These actions encompass Hamlet’s instinctual reactions to the death of his father and the corruption of order in his world. On the other hand, Hamlet’s superego provides his morals and principles which prevent him from rashly committing immoral sins. A combination of these two contradictory elements, Hamlet’s ego seeks to rationalize the situation by considering the relative benefits and disadvantages of killing and committing suicide. His ego is represented clearly in his soliloquy:

"To be, or not to be, that is the question:/Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer/The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune/Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,/And by opposing end them" (76).

As for why Hamlet decides to kill Claudius, the deaths of Ophelia and Gertrude, in addition to the revelation that Claudius planned to have Hamlet assassinated, culminate in Hamlet’s decision to kill Claudius. To claim that Queen Gertrude’s death alone enabled Hamlet to commit the crime, as implied in Freud’s argument, would inadequately portray the complexity of Hamlet’s psyche. Rather, the interactions between Hamlet’s desire to kill and his desire to make ethical decisions, as influenced by the outside world and the deaths of other characters, lead him to finally kill Claudius and achieve his mission.

**__Macbeth's Psyche__:**
In //The Tragedy of Macbeth//, the title character Macbeth has a powerful id which consists of his desire for power. He is a nobleman and a skill warrior, who is highly admired in the setting of rebellion-torn Scotland. In Act I, scene ii, Duncan, the King of Scotland, praises Macbeth for his valor against the crown's enemies. Once he hears news that Macbeth has defeated the rebel Macdonwald, he exclaims, "O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!" (51) and therefore gives him the title of Thane of Cawdor. However, in the subsequent scene, Macbeth encounters the three witches who awaken his id by fortelling of his rise to power as Thane of Cawdor and then as King of Scotland. This awakening is further emphasized by Macbeth's response to the witches' departure: "Into the air, and what seemed corporal/ Melted, as breath into the wind. Would they had stayed" (63). Instead of fearing the witches' dark forces and evil, he is intrigued and tempted by them. This immediately introduces him as morally compromised by nature. Despite the witches' obvious evil, however, the personification of Macbeth's id lies in his wife Lady Macbeth. Macbeth would have simply fantasized about killing King Duncan if he had simply been influenced by the three witches alone. It his wife who convinces him to commit murder by supporting his lust for power and challenging his manhood and courage :

"Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor,/ Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter,/ Thy letters had transported me beyond/ This ignorant present, and I feel now/ The future in the instant" (83).

"What beast was't, then,/ That made you break this enterprise with me?/ When you durst do it, then you were a man;/ And to be more than what you were, you would/ Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place/ Did then adhere, and yet you would make both./ They have made themselves, and that their fitness now/ Does unmake you. I have given suck and know/ How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me./ I would, while it was smiling in my face,/ Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums/ And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this" (95).

Lady Macbeth further personified Macbeth's id by her own desire for power in the previous quote since she is mainly influenced by her own desire for power. The majority of her motivation in influencing Macbeth to kill is her own selfish reasons. Macbeth's ego mainly consists of his moral conflict between killing for advancement and morality. The only thing that holds Macbeth back before he commits murder is his fear of guilt. By Act II, his decision is made and he becomes king through murder. The personification of his ego is his heir according to the witches' prophecy. This is not made apparent until the first scene in Act III as Banquo mediatates aloud concering Macbeth's actions:

"Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,/ As the weird women promised, and I fear/ thou played'st most foully for't. Yet it said/ It should not stand in thy posterity,/ But that myself should be the root and father/ Of many kings. If there come truth from them - / As upon thee, Macbeth, their speechesshine - / Why, by the verities on thee made good,/ May they not be my oracles as well,/ And set me up in hope? But hush, no more" (141).

Banquo is unsure of whether he should turn Macbeth in for muder. The only thing that stops him from doing so is his own desire for power since, according to the prophecy, he will be the father of the next line of kings in Scotland. This is representative of what Macbeth's ego chose to do. Macbeth knew the consequences of his actions but the idea of power was to alluring to give up.

Macbeth's superego consists of his morality which tells him that murder is wrong. It will only bring unbearable guilt and damnation. He does not follow his superego, but his enemy, Macduff, comes to represent this part of his mind. Macduff is Macbeth's foil and has a just and honorable nature, which Macbeth once had before he committed murder. This high moral high ground is represented in this quote in Act IV, scene iii:

"Boundless intemperance/ In nature is a tyranny. It hath been/ Th' untimely emptying of the happy throne/ And fall of many kings. But fear not yet/ To take upon you what is yours. You may/ Convery your pleasures in a spacious plenty/ And yet seem cold; the time you may so hoodwink./ We have willing dames enough. There cannot be/ That vulture in you to devour so many/ As will to greatness dedicate themselves,/ Finding it so inclined" (221-223).

Macduff clearly understands the nature of evil within politics and speaks with conviction against it. This strong moral backbone is the reason why he is able to defeat Macbeth and restore the crown.

**__//Macbeth// v. //Hamlet//__:**
Comparing the two works by incorporating tragic flaw analysis, //Hamlet// is the better tragedy. Macbeth’s main tragic flaw is his unrestrained ambition, while Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his hesitation and tendency to spend too much time contemplating issues. While Macbeth’s flaw originates from his id, Hamlet’s flaw comes from his ego. Hamlet hesitates because he cannot reconcile his desire for revenge and his desire to follow moral values. On the other hand, Macbeth’s tragic flaw is much more well-defined and lacks the same level of intricacy. The level of sophistication in Hamlet’s tragic flaw and psyche outweigh those of //Macbeth//, making //Hamlet// the better tragedy in terms of Freudian analysis.

//Macbeth//, on the other hand, proves to be more relevant in modern society. In every career area, there is always the desire for advancement for the sake of money and praise. In this pursuit, one must consider whether certain exploits are moral or not. //Macbeth// revolves around the faltering of the ego in favor of the id. This is a problem faced by many when concerning not just politics, but also gangs, scientific research, and business. The state of the economy also makes the Freudian analysis of //Macbeth// more relevant. In the current economic state of the United States, many are more likely to commit crime in order to pay the bills whether it is robbery, theft, and fraud. Hamlet, on the other hand, deals with creating justice through revenge. There are many cases of revenge killings, but it is not a topic discussed everyday on top news outlets. Rather, there are constant reports, studies, and updates on crimes like identity theft and spree killings, which involve the ego favoring the desires of the id. Thus, //Macbeth// is the more relevant tragedy compared to //Hamlet//.

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