The Oedipal
Relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude
Summary: Exploration
of Hamlet's oedipal complex using Freud's theories.
Throughout William Shakespeare's
Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays Hamlet with the same types of behaviors and
frustrations in humans that Sigmund Freud saw at a much later date. When the
relationship between Hamlet and his mother is analyzed Freud's oedipal complex
theory comes to mind. The oedipal complex is a theory created by Freud that
states that "The child takes both of its parents, and more particularly
one of them, as the object of its erotic wishes."(51) Because of this
desire to be with the parent of the opposite sex, a rivalry is formed with the
parent of the same sex. In the play, Hamlet shows great hostility toward his
uncle Claudius because his mother's remarriage to him. Hamlet sees his mother's
remarriage as disgusting and sees murdering Claudius as a way of freeing his
mother of an incestuous marriage as well as avenging his father. Hamlet and his
mother's relationship is also shown as more sexual than the traditional mother
son relationship because of Hamlet's language and private interaction with his
mother, as well as his rivalry toward Claudius for his mother's attentions.
This suggests that Shakespeare saw the behavioral characteristics of the
oedipal complex in humanity that Freud did and chose to display them through
the relationship of Hamlet and his mother.
Hamlet's inner monologues reveal
much about what he is feeling and also aid in understanding the nature of the
oedipal complex within the character. Aspects of the oedipal complex can be
seen and applied to Hamlet's first soliloquy. Here Hamlet speaks to himself,
divulging his personal expression of torment. The main cause of Hamlet's
torment is the remarriage of his mother to his uncle and not the death of his
father. This is shown when Hamlet says "With such dexterity to incestuous
sheets! It is not, nor it cannot come to good. / But break my heart, for I
must hold my tongue." (1.2 . 157-9) He is disgusted by his mother's
affection toward Claudius because he believes it is incestuous. It can also be
inferred the Hamlet is more concerned with the marriage of his mother than the
death of his father because Hamlet does not mention or express any concern over
how his father died until he sees the ghost. This fits in with the oedipal
complex because it can be said that unconsciously Hamlet believes that because
his father is dead all his competition is gone and his mother should be his.
Claudius marring his mother does not fit in with what Hamlet wants and takes
his object of desire away from him.
Within Act three scene four the
full extent of Hamlet's feelings for his mother are expressed which make the
oedipal complex behaviors in the relationship apparent due to the fact Hamlet
makes numerous sexually allusions. In this scene Hamlet confronts his mother
about her relationship with Claudius and her involvement in the murder of King
Hamlet. Here Hamlet is actually more concerned with his mother's sexual
relationship than anything else including avenging his father. Throughout most
of the scene, Hamlet
concentrates on his mother's
sexual relationship with Claudius by making many sexual allusions and berating
his mother with them. He states that she seeks out "incestuous pleasure of
his bed."(3.4 . l. 90) This exploring of his mother's carnal nature is
because he is sexually concerned for her. Hamlet also makes many allusions to
beds and sex in the scene because beds are where most sexual activity occurs.
An example of this is when Hamlet says: "In the rank sweat of an
enseamented bed Stew'd (3.4 . l. 93-96)
It is possible that here Shakespeare wanted to
show how Hamlet's rage brought out all his repressed sexually desires for his
mother because of Hamlet's concentration on Gertrude's sex life. All of these
words come out in Hamlet's rage because before he had repressed them. It can be
best explained by Freud when he sates "the complex which is thus formed is
doomed to early repression" (Freud 51) but it has a "lasting
influence from the unconscious."(Freud 51) It could be concluded from a
Freudian point of view that in this scene Hamlet's repressed sexual desire for
his mother surfaces due to his rage in a form of sexual allusions.
The significance of the
"closet scene" taking place in Gertrude's bedroom is also important
to look at because the privacy and intimacy of the bedroom add a new dimension
when Hamlet's and Gertrude's relationship is examined. Bedrooms are very
private and are usually places where sexual activity takes place. Shakespeare
possibly placed Hamlet and Gertrude in these quarters to suggest the aspects of
Hamlet's sexual desires for his mother and to allow Hamlet to express himself
fully to his mother. The "closet scene" proves to be essential in
understanding Hamlet's and Gertrude's
relationship because the bedroom
allows Hamlet to have private conversation with his mother. If the scene were
to take place else ware it would not seem as sexual and the conversation
between the two would be different due to the lack of privacy.
At the end of the "closet
scene" it is evident that Hamlet is acting jealous of his mother's attention
being given to Claudius. He gives her the possessive command "Not this by
no means that I bid you do: Let the bloat king tempt you again to bed, Pinch
wanton on your cheek, call you his mouse."(3.4 l. 188-190) Because Hamlet
tells his mother this with so many sexual references, he seems more like a
jealous lover than a concerned son. This possessiveness shown in the command
exhibits Hamlet's desire to have all the attentions of his mother and to
restrict her from interaction with Claudius- his competition. At the end of the
scene Hamlet completely abandons questioning Gertrude about his father's death
and becomes more concerned with her sexual life. It can also be inferred that
Hamlet went to his mother because of more integrate reasons because of his focus
on stopping his mother from sleeping with Claudius.
Due to the fact that Shakespeare
expresses the character Hamlet and his relationship with his mother to fit in
with the oedipal complex suggest the oedipal complex was seen long before
Freud. When looking at Hamlet and Gertrude's relationship indicators of the
oedipal complex including Hamlet's language and private interaction with his
mother which fit in with Freud's theory that "a child should take his
parents as the first objects of his love." (52) Using Freudian theory to
read Hamlet is something that Shakespeare never intended but it matches the
theory because Shakespeare most likely saw the same behaviors and frustrations
in humankind that Freud did.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New
York: Bantam Books, 1988.
Sigmund, Freud. Five Lectures on
Psycho-Analysis. Trans. James Strachey. New York: W.W. Norton & Company,
1961.
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