Explanation of Hamlet’s Mystery (by: Ernest Jones)

pg. 101 exposition of Hamlets Mystery by Ernest Jones Much as he hates him, he bunghole never denounce him with the ardent indignation that boils straight from his blood when he reproaches his mystify, for the more vigorously he denounces his uncle the more powerfully does he set about to activity his get unconscious and repressed complexes. He is there- fore in a dilemma between on the one hand allowing his inbred detestation of his uncle to have free play, a consum- mation which would make him aw ar of his own horrible ishes, and on the other ignoring the imperative call for ven- geance that his obvious craft demands. He must either realise his own evil in denouncing his uncles, or strive to ignore, to condone and if possible even to forget the last mentioned in continuing to repress the former his moral fate is surround up with his uncles for good or ill. The call of duty to slay his uncle cannot be obeyed because it links itself with the call of his nature to slay his mot hers husband, whether this is the first or the plunk for the latter call is strongly repressed, and therefore necessarily the former also.It is no mere chance that he says of himself that he is prompted to the revenge by nirvana and hell, though the true significance of the expres- sion of course quite escapes him. Hamlets dammed-up feeling finds a partial vent in other directions, the natural one world blocked. The petulant irascibility and explosive outbursts called forth by the vexa- tion of Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, and especially of Polo- nius, are evidently to be interpreted in this way, as also is in part the burning nature of his reproaches to his mother. In- deed towards the end of the interview with his mother the hought of her misconduct expresses itself in that almost physical disgust which is so practically the manifestation of in- tensely repressed sexual feeling. Let the bloat great power tempt you again to bed Pinch wanton on your establishment call you his mouse And let him, for a pair of reechy kisses, Or paddling in your neck with his damnd fingers, Make you to ravel all this matter out. His attitude towards Polonius is highly instructive. Here the absence of family tie, and of other influences, enables him to indulge to a relatively uninhibited degree his hostility towards the prating and sententious dotard.