PSYCHO-ANALYTIC CRITICISM

Freud began his psychoanalytic work in the 1880s while attempting to treat behavioral disorders
in his Viennese patients.
The aim of psychoanalysis as Freud understood it was not to map the unconscious entirely. He
didn't want to figure out every tiny thing that happens in your mind. Psychoanalysis worked,
instead, to bring patients' repressed memories and wishes to the surface.
Jungian criticism attempts to explore the connection between literature and what Carl Jung (a
student of Freud) called the collective unconscious of the human race.
Jungian criticism, closely related to Freudian theory because of its connection to psychoanalysis,
assumes that all stories and symbols are based on mythic models from mankinds past.
Psychoanalytic argues that literary texts, like dreams, express the secret unconscious desires and
anxieties of the author, that a literary work is a manifestation of the author's own neuroses. One
may psychoanalyze a particular character within a literary work, but it is usually assumed that all
such characters are projections of the author's psyche.
This critical endeavor seeks evidence of unresolved emotions, psychological conflicts, guilts,
ambivalences, and so forth within what may well be a disunities literary work. The author's own
childhood traumas, family life, sexual conflicts, fixations, and such will be traceable within the
behavior of the characters in the literary work. But psychological material will be expressed
indirectly, disguised, or encoded
Like all forms of literary criticism, psychoanalytic criticism can yield useful clues to the
sometime baffling symbols, actions, and settings in a literary work; however, like all forms of
literary criticism, it has its limits. For one thing, some critics rely on psycho criticism as a "one
size fits all" approach, when other literary scholars argue that no one approach can adequately
illuminate or interpret a complex work of art.

Freud maintained that our desires and our unconscious conflicts give rise to three areas of the

mind that wrestle for dominance as we grow from infancy, to childhood, to adulthood:
Id : includes libidinal or sexual desires
Super ego : includes the area of the unconscious that houses Judgment (of self and others) and
"...which begins to form during childhood as a result of the Oedipus complex"
Ego : negotiates the conflicts between the insatiable sexual demands and the strict requirements
of the super ego
In a variety of criticism works the implementation of psychoanalytic criticism can be seen, along
with directly and indirectly influencing view.

INTRODUCTION:
Hamlet: The Psycho-analytical solution is part of a section in Ernest Jones book Hamlet and
Oedipus published in 1949.
Since the perception of the play many scholars, students as well are critics and researchers have
dissected the personality of the character to gain insight and acquire answers to explain his
behavior.
Hamlet himself is rather confused by what he is to do as his response to his fathers ghosts task
is I do not know why?
Ernest Jones as well has attempted to analyze the character that is Hamlet. He presents his view
stating that the real problem of the Prince of Demark is indicated neither directly nor indirectly in
the play.
Jones states that Hamlets emotional struggle with the level of authenticity in the Ghosts narration
of his death along with the ability to execute the task timely along with the notion of
procrastinating in order to conceal his cowardliness.
Therefore Jones suggested that something is repressed in his unconscious mind due to his
subjugated psycho-sexual trends which has left him soul-paralyzing grief as well as a distaste for
life.
This brings Jones to believe that Hamlet suffered from Oedipus complex.
This extract provides us with information that braces us with the psycho-analytical causes of the
complex.

HAMLET:
THE PSYCHO-ANALYTICAL SOLUTION:
Hamlets inability to perform the obvious task leaves audience creating their own versions of
explanations, either that Hamlet in instable of performing the task or the task itself is challenging
to execute or Hamlet is repulsed by the task.
Jones argued that Hamlets difficulties center a repressed sexual problem, the manifestation of
which transferred to other issues such as immorality, religious ethics, salvation of the soul,
philosophical considerations about the value of life and so on.
Ulrici in 1939 was the first writer to formally recognize that Hamlets struggle is of psychological
in nature rather than physical.
He believed that Hamlet was tore in between carrying out the reprehensible task to avenge his
fathers death by putting an end to the life of his murderer and his commitment towards his
Christian ethics.
Von Berger on the other hand concludes that Hamlets inability to avenge his fathers death lies in
the fact that the task is beneath his dignity.
Kohler concluded that Hamlet was profoundly sophisticated for his time and believing in legal
punishment rather than personal vendetta.
Schnipper, Gilber and most recently Stoll, suggested that Hamlet was not in haste to perform the
task as he couldnt trust the word of a supernatural entity and that he didnt want his personal
hatred towards the king encourage him to kill Claudius and prove the his fathers spirit was not a
manifestation of anger.
The evident query one has with regard to Hamlets behavior is to why in the entire play he gives
no indication of the conflict in his mind?

He provides several excuses and explanations for his procrastination yet does not even hint as to
what is the foremost cause for his inability to accomplish the task.
Many have concluded his hesitation with religion, ethics, morality etc yet the true and core
aspect remains a mystery.
There are three stages of arguments that are made with regards to Hamlets hesitation:
1. Hamlets hesitation was due to some special cause of repugnance towards his task
2. Hamlet was unaware of the nature of his repugnance towards his task
3. The cause itself is one that is yet to be considered
Trench stated that possibly Shakespeare himself was unable to understand Hamlet let alone the
character of Hamlet understanding himself.
Perhaps the conflict within Hamlet is one that is felt by the hero, the poet and the audience are
deeply moved by a feeling due to the conflict of the source of which they are unaware.
Jones states that Hamlet is unable to self-examine his internal conflict who is well aware of the
task at hand yet he lets every opportunity to complete the task pass him by.
Sir James Paget provided the first term used to diagnose Hamlet. Specific Aboulia which is the
deficiency in will power to complete a task. He believed that people stated that Hamlet will not
do the task whereas the issued was he cannot will to do the task. The reason for this can be
associated with the fact that an unconscious repulsiveness is developed towards the task causing
the lack in will power resulting in unnecessary procrastination.
Hamlet gave multiple reasons for his procrastination, which when looked at sounded extremely
logical. Logic is very important for a person who procrastinates. People who procrastinate
provide the most logical excuses. When a person gives at different times different reasons to
justify his actions and decisions it is safe to say they are concealing the true reason.

Jones goes on to say that everything Hamlet experienced or expressed including his depression,
hopeless attitude towards the world, fear of his own death, repeated references to bad dreams,
self-accusations, efforts to escape his duties, all account to a reason or cause that he himself
cannot come to terms with. He is unable to recognize or accept his counter-motive that remains
either hidden subconsciously or deliberately.
The psycho-analytic research carried out by Freud brought to light the knowledge that it is more
difficult for the person suffering from the psychological struggle to recognize his problem but it
is relatively easier for others to recognize his internal struggle.
This internal struggle results in repressed memories or emotions or thoughts for that matter. It is
highly likely that those thoughts which do not meet the standards of the society or surrounding
environment or the circle of which the individual is part of are more likely to be repressed by an
individual.
From a biological point of view it stated that that which is unacceptable by the herd is
unacceptable by the individual
Once the repressed thoughts are formed in the individuals mental process the mind makes an
active effort to keep these thoughts active or on the surface without the knowledge of the
individual. The mind proactively creates an energy of its own which takes control of the
repressed thoughts.
These repressions bear witness to the genetic aspects of the individual belonging to what are
called innate impulses.
Among the variety of repressed thoughts the one ones concerned with psycho-sexual trends are
most common as topics concerned with sexual trends which are deemed taboo by the society or
immediate surrounding are more likely to remain repressed by the individual in fear of being
exposed and questioned or even exiled by the society.
Hamlets behavior may have been built on the foundation of repressed thoughts that remained
hidden and unaware to him until the opportunity of vengeance arose.

Hamlets attitude towards his act a vengeance can be narrowed to two crimes connected with
Claudius. One being the incest between hamlets mother and his uncle Claudius and the second
being the murder of hamlets father the King by his own brother Claudius.
Towards each of these two crimes hamlet possess a different attitude. Intellectually both the
crimes arose a feeling of loathe in Hamlet, but which of these does he loathe more than the other.
Though the obvious task is to avenge his fathers death as the knowledge of his uncles betrayal
and the hatred Hamlet felt towards him would give us all the impression that this would be the
crime that truly arose a strong sense of loath in Hamlet, but it was his mothers incest, betrayal
and treason that penetrated deep inside of Hamlets tolerance level which left him with more
hatred towards his mothers dishonorable actions than towards his fathers murderer.
Then the actions of Claudius comes into play, to begin with Claudius was actively involved in
both crimes, the murder of King Hamlet and the incest with the Queen, and to add to the list of
crimes Claudius is a family member, the betray of a family member by a family member caused
sadness and confusion in the mind of Hamlet.
Bradley states that Hamlets disgust towards life bears its origin from the inability of Hamlet to
cope with the nature of his mothers behavior after the death of his father. He believes that her
actions bring dishonor to the very memory of his father.
According to Eliot Hamlets emotions have a strong contrast with Gertrudes negativity and
insignificant personality.
Wiham believes that effects of Hamlets misfortunes are attributed to his Masslosigkeit which
is lack of moderation.
Basically Hamlets special nature of reactions supposes some unique feature in his mental
tendencies. Bradley himself qualified his hypothesis stating to a man such as we have seen
Hamlet to be.
Now the point at which Hamlets sanity is questioned by many throughout the ages. It is
extremely obvious that Hamlet suffers from a mental disorder or struggle throughout the play.
Yet it is understandable that not a soul has been able to find or pin point the issue or cause of
Hamlets questionable sanity. Whether it is something Hamlet is unaware of or is he completely

aware of it and is cunningly concealing it?

T.S Eliot states Hamlets madness is less than madness and more of feigned.
When it comes to Hamlets sanity many psychiatrist have drawn their conclusions stating that
Hamlet does suffer from a form of insanity yet none of these professionals have been able to
term the particular for of insanity.
However Kellog, de Boismon, Heuse, Nicholson and others have committed themselves to
believing Hamlet was paralyzed with Melancholia.
The name "melancholia" comes from the old medical belief of the four humours: disease or
ailment being caused by an imbalance in one or other of the four basic bodily liquids, or
humours. In the 19th century, "melancholia" could be physical as well as mental, and
melancholic conditions were classified as such by their common cause rather than by their
properties.
Yet there were certain psychiatrist like Ominus who rejected his theory of Melancholia.
When we take into account Hamlets dialogues from the play, be it his refusal of food, symptoms
of dejection, insomnia, deranged behavior, fits of delirium and of course his raving madness, all
these expressions, verbal and physical, when translated from Elizabethan Language into moderna
language all denote a craving for death.
These are undoubtedly symptoms of a certain form of melancholia as well as likeness to maniacdepressive insanity, of which is now known as a part of Melancholia.
The modern diagnostic term for these spasms of great excitement is hypomanic.
Nevertheless, according to Jones, these rapid fluctuations of excitement and depression do not fit
either of the terms, rather he believes the best manner in which Hamlets disorder can be
clinically termed is a severe case of hysteria on a cyclothymic basis.
Jones goes on to state that all these are more of academic interest rather than the psychological
understanding of the effects produced by Hamlets personality and behavior.
Shakespeares intentions we never for us to regard Hamlet as insane, rather Shakespeares
powers of observation and penetration granted us an insight into the fine line that divides the
responsible and sane from the irresponsible insane.
In todays world much of mankind lives in a continues state of unhappiness and intermediate
form.

Dover Wilson states it is a state of frustration, futility and human inadequacy which burdens
mankind of which Hamlet is the ultimate example of in literature, which years ago the genius of
Shakespeare attempted to convey with faultless insight through the character of Hamlet.
This transitional dilemma which the greater part of mankind duffer from is given the name of
Psychoneurosis.
Inspired by Freud, comprehensive studies revealed that psychoneurosis is the state of mind in
which an individual is immoderately and frequently painfully consumed by the unconscious
part of his mind, the buried part of his mind that was buried as an infant and that part lives on
side by side with the individuals adult mentality that has developed out of it and should have
taken its place.
It is impossible to deliberate perceptively the state of mind of an individual, living or imaginary,
that suffers from psychoneurosis without linking exhibitions that were expressed during infancy
and is still operating within the individuals mind.
In the case of Hamlet, the reason to which he reacted in the distraught elevated manner to the
fact that his mother has replaced his fathers affection with that of another man, none the less the
man happens to be his uncle as well as the murderer of his father. It is as though he found it
strenuous enough to have to compete with his father for his mothers love and affection, and now
he must do the same with another man.
Against the above possibility, Jones raises three objections, which are:
1. Hamlet would have been well aware of his jealousy the above case, whereas the conclusion
which this essay has come to states Hamlet was not aware of his mental processes.
2. There is no evidence of the arousing of an old forgotten memory.
3. Hamlets depreciation of his mothers affection and love because of Claudius is the same as it
was when his father was alive, as both men were committed to the roles of a loving husband.
Jones states that the last objection provided by him leads us to the heart of the situation. Jones
states that what if as a child Hamlet bitterly resented his father because of the fact he had to
compete for his mothers love and affection against him and began to consider his own father as
a rival whom he secretly wished would be extinguished so that he may have the entire love and
affection of his mother without any competition or hindrances. If so was the case such thoughts
of Hamlet would have obviously been repressed as a child and all traces of it would have been

eliminated from his mind with the influences of education and family devotion.
The death of his father by the hands of his own jealous brother would have awoken these
repressed memories in Hamlet which exhibited themselves in the form of elevated depression
and other forms of suffering and struggle.
The explanation of Hamlets hesitancy to carry put the task of vengeance towards his fathers
murderer lies in his inability to mentally tolerate the incest of his mother and the murder of his
father by hands of his own uncle was collectively insufferable to tolerate.
Hamlet is intensively tore between two reactions, one involves the obligation of carrying out his
duties as a devoted son and avenging his fathers death and the other is his continues distain at
the very thought of the task.
He is torn and tortured in an inexplicable inward conflict.