Essay Sample about Hamlet’s Mind

When people think of Hamlet, he is perceived as the hero of the play, but is this really true? We are not even sure if Hamlet is a good person, and he makes many dangerous decisions throughout the play because he does not think about his actions. His mind causes him to just react, without thinking through what he is about to do. Hamlet’s id takes over his mind, causing him to be spontaneous, and this makes the audience contemplate if Hamlet is a good person throughout the play. Hamlet's mind tricks him into making the wrong decisions because of his motivations and this is why he is not a good person. Looking at this psychologically, Hamlet is negatively driven because he wants to get revenge on King Claudius for killing his father, and he is only focused on revenge. Hamlet’s mind and his motivations make him a bad person because he becomes so easily focused on revenge. His mind tricks him into making decisions that could cause him to be perceived as a bad person, and this is because he is not putting thought into any of his actions. His poor intentions make him a bad person because he does not think and his id controls his mind.

Revenge is motivating Hamlet, and he only focuses on getting back at the king for killing his father. Id is about making impulsive decisions and Hamlet’s id dominates because he is only focused on revenge, so he is spontaneous with his actions. Hamlet is impulsive, and he did not think about his actions, which caused him to make rash decisions. He is mostly id which “operates in the deepest level of the unconscious” and this is causing him to be so spontaneous because he is not thinking about his actions (Adamec). His mind is causing him to make bad decisions, making him a bad person because any other person would not let their minds manipulate them into becoming this kind of person. Comparing this to the ego and superego, we can see how Hamlet is mostly id and how he reacts to situations immediately.

Hamlet makes a variety of choices that have a huge impact on the entire play, and he only does it to satisfy his needs because he wants revenge on the king. Compared to id, ego is what a person thinks of themselves, and it is about thinking of realistic ways to please the id’s desires. Hamlet does not think of what would be the best thing to do realistically, and he just recklessly reacts however he feels he should. An example of this is when he kills Polonius because he thinks that it is the king behind the curtain spying on him and his mother. He does not even know who he kills and then when he realizes that it was Polonius and not the king he does not even feel bad as he says, “Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell” (Shakespeare III.iv.38). He basically says that Polonius deserved to die and that he thought Polonius was someone more important. 

Hamlet also fails to realize that what he is doing is wrong, and this is mainly what makes him a bad person. The superego is our conscience, and being able to do what is right. Hamlet’s mind is more id and less superego because he more reacts to how he feels he should in a specific moment, rather than thinking it through. One instance where this happens is when he replaced the sealed letter carried by the unsuspecting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, which called for Hamlet’s execution, with one saying “the bearers put to sudden death” (Shakespeare V.ii.51). The worst part about this decision was that Hamlet did not feel any guilt for doing this, and he says that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have betrayed him so they deserve this. He does not feel sorry for his actions, and he constantly is unsuccessful in making the correct choices.

Hamlet is a reactive person, and he immediately does what he feels is right in a situation, and this is not what makes him a bad person, but it plays a huge role. He is not a good person because he does not learn from any of these situations, and this is because his mind is so focused on revenge. He also is not a good person because he does not feel bad for the mistakes that he makes, and he does not have the ability to feel guilt or empathy in any way. Hamlet’s mind does not work like most peoples’ do, making it difficult for him to process that what he does is wrong, therefore causing him to continue making these mistakes.