Abstract

Psychoanalysis; fathered by Dr. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), is primarily a process for the analysis and therapy of neurosis. It has altered the course and content of twentieth century literature. Interestingly, Freud derived some of his concepts from literary works like ‘Oedipus Rex’ etc. Often mired in controversy, Freudian ideas resulted in a redefinition of the ‘human’. Questions have frequently been raised regarding its veracity. The researcher intends to construe the applicability of Psychoanalysis as a literary theory for the study of two of Shakespeare’s most remarkable tragedies: Hamlet and Macbeth. The characters of these plays have been analyzed from the perspective of psychoanalytic criticism as they are the goldmine of the traits of psychological studies. Be it Hamlet or Macbeth, Ophelia or Lady Macbeth, there have been several character traits in them which have been the focus of critics and scholars world over. The current paper is an earnest endeavor to take a fresh look at them from the prism of Freudian theories of psychoanalysis. (more…)