KING OEDIPUS, KING DAVID, THE PROPHET NATHAN, & HAMLET
Freud claimed that Hamlet had an Oedipus complex, but Shakespeare may have had the biblical King David more in mind.
—Hamlet killed his uncle in the end, but not to marry Mom (she’s already dead).
Oedipus unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother; David knowingly arranges for Uriah to die in battle (2 Sam 11:14-17) to marry Bathsheba. Both marry the wife of their respective victims. Both are confronted about the truth of their actions later by a prophet-figure (Oedipus, by the blind seer Tiresias; David, by the prophet Nathan).
Note some of the David parallels in Hamlet:
—Claudius is like David: both kill quite intentionally to marry the victim's wife, and Claudius may have had an affair with Gertrude before King Hamlet's death, like David did with Bathsheba.
—Hamlet complains that his mother and uncle have not mourned long enough for the death of King Hamlet. Similarly, after learning that his son by Bathsheba is sick, David fasts and prays for seven days, but upon learning that the child has died, he ends his mourning with a disturbing suddenness (2 Sam 12:18-23).
—Hamlet pretends to be mad to deflect a threat; so does David (1 Sam 21:13).
—Hamlet uses a play to "catch the conscience of the king" (3.2). Nathan used a story to catch the conscience of King David (2 Sam 12:1-9).
—Hamlet spares Claudius (3.3) at prayer (but with dark motives); David spared King Saul when he had the chance to kill him (1 Sam 24).
—Claudius sends a letter with Hamlet to have him executed in England (4.3); David sent a letter with Uriah to arrange for his death (2 Sam11:14-15).
The idea of Hamlet having an Oedipus complex is a Freudian idea. There are perhaps more allusions in Hamlet to King David than to Oedipus.
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MORE:
KING DAVID & OEDIPUS in HAMLET
On this blog: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2017/09/king-oedipus-king-david-hamlet-freud.html
On LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/eeBvjjS
HENRY VIII & KING DAVID in HAMLET
On this blog: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2017/09/king-oedipus-king-david-hamlet-freud.html
On LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/e97bdG4
HAMLET HAS A DAVID COMPLEX
On this blog: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2017/09/hamlet-has-david-complex-freud-claimed.html
INCESTUOUS, ADULTEROUS, MURDEROUS BEAST?
https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2018/03/incestuous-adulterous-murderous-beast.html
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Paul Adrian Fried has an MFA in English & Creative Writing and taught university English for 21 years. His current project is a book, tentatively titled "Hamlet's Bible," about biblical allusions and deep plot echoes in Shakespeare's play. He posts weekly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Links to a description of my book project:
On LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/eJGBtqV
On this blog: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2017/05/hamlets-bible-my-book-project-im.html
[Originally posted 9/9/17
on LinkedIn]
—Hamlet killed his uncle in the end, but not to marry Mom (she’s already dead).
Oedipus unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother; David knowingly arranges for Uriah to die in battle (2 Sam 11:14-17) to marry Bathsheba. Both marry the wife of their respective victims. Both are confronted about the truth of their actions later by a prophet-figure (Oedipus, by the blind seer Tiresias; David, by the prophet Nathan).
Note some of the David parallels in Hamlet:
—Claudius is like David: both kill quite intentionally to marry the victim's wife, and Claudius may have had an affair with Gertrude before King Hamlet's death, like David did with Bathsheba.
—Hamlet complains that his mother and uncle have not mourned long enough for the death of King Hamlet. Similarly, after learning that his son by Bathsheba is sick, David fasts and prays for seven days, but upon learning that the child has died, he ends his mourning with a disturbing suddenness (2 Sam 12:18-23).
—Hamlet pretends to be mad to deflect a threat; so does David (1 Sam 21:13).
—Hamlet uses a play to "catch the conscience of the king" (3.2). Nathan used a story to catch the conscience of King David (2 Sam 12:1-9).
—Hamlet spares Claudius (3.3) at prayer (but with dark motives); David spared King Saul when he had the chance to kill him (1 Sam 24).
—Claudius sends a letter with Hamlet to have him executed in England (4.3); David sent a letter with Uriah to arrange for his death (2 Sam11:14-15).
The idea of Hamlet having an Oedipus complex is a Freudian idea. There are perhaps more allusions in Hamlet to King David than to Oedipus.
~~~~~
MORE:
KING DAVID & OEDIPUS in HAMLET
On this blog: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2017/09/king-oedipus-king-david-hamlet-freud.html
On LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/eeBvjjS
HENRY VIII & KING DAVID in HAMLET
On this blog: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2017/09/king-oedipus-king-david-hamlet-freud.html
On LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/e97bdG4
HAMLET HAS A DAVID COMPLEX
On this blog: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2017/09/hamlet-has-david-complex-freud-claimed.html
INCESTUOUS, ADULTEROUS, MURDEROUS BEAST?
https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2018/03/incestuous-adulterous-murderous-beast.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paul Adrian Fried has an MFA in English & Creative Writing and taught university English for 21 years. His current project is a book, tentatively titled "Hamlet's Bible," about biblical allusions and deep plot echoes in Shakespeare's play. He posts weekly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Links to a description of my book project:
On LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/eJGBtqV
On this blog: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2017/05/hamlets-bible-my-book-project-im.html
[Originally posted 9/9/17
on LinkedIn]
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