Archetypes in "Hamlet"

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that Carl Jung might observe that Shakespeare's characters are not simply complex and psychologically multifaceted; they are also timeless archetypes. According to the paper, Jungian archetypes are general, universal stereotypes that reflect all of human consciousness and experience. The paper examines Shakespeare's use of archetypical characters in "Hamlet" by analyzing the characters of Gertrude, Polonius, Ophelia, Laertes, Claudius, Fortinbras and Hamlet.

From the Paper:

"It has become a cliche that William Shakespeare is a timeless playwright. His stories are still read and performed today. But why is this the case, given that his plotlines are often quite simple, and authored by others, long before Shakespeare put pen to paper (such as "Romeo and Juliet" and "Julius Caesar"). His plays themselves have become so familiar there is no longer any suspense as to whether Claudius 'really' killed Old Hamlet. The reason for Shakespeare's durability is his complex, yet seemingly universally identifiable characters. The pioneer of psychoanalysis and the theorist of the collective unconsciousness Carl Jung might observe that Shakespeare's characters are not simply complex and psychologically multifaceted; they are also timeless archetypes."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Boeree, George C. 1997. "Carl Jung." Updated 2006. 12 Apr 2008.http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/jung.html
• Greenblatt, Stephen. "Hamlet." The Norton Shakespeare. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997
• Pettifor, Eric. "Major Archetypes and the Process of Individuation." Personality and Consciousness. 1995. 12 Apr 2008.http://pandc.ca/?cat=car_jung&page=major_archetypes_and_individuation
• "Jung: Archetypes." ILoveULove.com. 2002. Last updated 22 Mar 2008.12 Apr 2008.http://www.iloveulove.com/psychology/jung/jungarchetypes.htm
• Pennington, Michael. Hamlet: A User's Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996.

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