Using psychological criticism in literature Hamlet 1 Looking

Using psychological criticism in literature: Hamlet 1

Looking at Lit from a Freudian Perspective Who was Freud? l What do we gain from looking at Lit using his philosophies on psychology? l What exactly does a “Freudian perspective” mean? l How can his ideas specifically be applied to Lit? l 2

Who Was Freud? § Father of modern psychology § Created the basis for much of what we § § currently know about psychology Theories dealt with all aspects of the mind, including adolescent thinking, gender differences in thinking, anxiety, sexuality, repression and desire. Most closely associated with ideas about subconscious desire and “Oedipus Complex” Many of his theories have been either expanded upon or debunked – either way, it created the foundation for psychological thought Not everything is about sex (but a lot of it is). 3

What Do We Gain from His Perspectives? As with all types of psychological criticisms (and there are many) we can gain a better understanding of why a character acts the way they do in a work. This makes our characters more realistic, more wellrounded and enhances the literature experience as a whole. Any type of human psychology is possible for a character, depending on how they are written. This means that a character can have multiple reasons for acting the way they do just as a real person does. Literature reflects the “human experience” and psychology is part of that. 4

What Exactly Does a “Freudian Perspective” Mean? As stated before, it’s not all about sex. Freud described different stages of consciousness, creating terms such as id, ego and superego, to define the levels of mental control. He defined certain stages of development and the mental processes that accompanied those stages. He theorized multiple mental paradigms to define ways of thinking, such as the “Elektra” and “Oedipus” complexes. 5

More Specifically: Id, Ego, Superego The Oxford English Dictionary (www. oed. com) defines the following: Id: The inherited instinctive impulses of the individual, forming part of the unconscious. Ø Ego: That part of the mind which is most conscious of self; in the work of Freud that part which, acted upon by both the id and the super-ego, mediates with the environment. Ø Superego: A Freudian term for that aspect of the psyche which has internalized parental and social prohibitions or ideals early in life and imposes them as a censor on the wishes of the ego; the agent of self-criticism or selfobservation. Ø 6

What The @#$%&* Does That Mean? 7

What It Means or Freud in Layman’s terms § Id is where the innermost desires live. Those dark places where passions and the basest of instincts and wants reside. § Ego is our conscious mind that tells us what is good and bad. Our conscience. It mediates between the id and superego. § Superego is what everyone else and society want for us. 8

Let’s Look at Some Examples: 9

Hamlet and His Superego: l Let’s take a look at a clip of Hamlet dealing with his parents. l How does this reflect the concept of superego? 10

Dealing with Hamlet’s Ego l Hamlet shows a crisis of conscience in this clip. l How does this reflect the concept of ego? 11

Hamlet Unleashes His Id l In this clip we see Hamlet slay Polonius. l How does this represent the concept of id? 12

Your Assignment l Analyze Hamlet using psychological criticism. Base your information on one of Freud’s theories found in the text. l Write a full paper (intro, body, conclusion) at least three pages long showing your analysis. Try to cite specific instances from the play that support why you think Hamlet is doing what he does. l Type your paper using Word and save it to disk so that I can make comments using the collaborative features in the program. l For an example of what I’m looking for go here: Leggo My Ego 13