Oedipus Complex in Shakespeare’s Hamlet
27 Gennaio 2019
Hamlet’s Madness
27 Gennaio 2019When Hamlet’s mother’s hasty remarriage had led Hamlet to the disillusioned view that ” frailty, thy name is woman”, Ophelia‘s affection might yet have restored his spirit.
But her unexplained refusal to see him soon after his mother’s remarriage completes Hamlet’s disillusionment with women.
The first real reaction happens during the dialogue between Gertrude and him, and it seems that mysteriously he becomes rabid more against his mother then his uncle, though he is certain that Claudius is the culprit of his father’s murder.
We can find a misogynyst behaviour in the violence of Hamlet’s treatment to Ophelia “Ha, ha, are you honest?” (act III, scene i) and later he says to her. “Or, if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool; for wise men know will enough what monsters you make of them”.
In the second quotation the “you” is referred to all women and this treatment to Ophelia, who appears like the victim of the tragedy, is caused by anger against his mother and a hysterical hatred of women produced by his madness.
Others defend Hamlet saying that he treats Ophelia in that way because he is disappointed in love and suspects that she has helped his enemies: when he said ” where’s your father?” (act III, scene i) he had realised that Polonius is spying on him.
