Freud...?!

Sigmund Freud

Surprise, surprise! "Freud must be a total psycho!"

Well no, it's not that of a surprise. How many times have I heard this phrase in Psychology class? As far as I remember, even the teacher agreed to the clichetic statement. I, myself, who consider to be a very open-minded person couldn't stop but assume Freud was a pervert. Just to validate my opinion, I would like to introduce some of his "funny" theories.

• Penis Envy - it's when a young girl (around 5 ~ 6 year old) "secretely" starts envying her father's penis
• Anul Stage - an infant feels orgasm while pushing out "stuff" out of its bottom
• The Phallic Stage - when sexual conflict maximizes: eg) Oedipus/Electra Complex (a child's unconcious desire to possess opposite-sexed parent and to eliminate the same-sexed one)

Whoa, what a creative guy! I will not make any affirmation on the fact that all these theories are false, yet according to some other wacky theories Freud had it is certainly hard to believe what this guy was trying to imply.

The text seem to refer to Hamlet's Oedipus Complex - in summary, Hamlet "unconciously" desired to get rid of his own father, and in fact admired Claudius' murder. Everything I have said in summary can be put as,

"All these circumstances are obvious to everyone, but they do not help us to explain dreams of the death of their parents in persons for whom filial piety has long since come to be unquestionable. We are, however, prepared by the foregoing discussion to look for the origin of a death-wish in the earliest years of childhood." Not only this, Freud also says that we are secretely jealous of our own brothers and sisters: "Feelings of hostility towards brothers and sisters must occur far more frequently in children than is observed by their obtuse elders."

Hamlet, in my opinion, has got nothing to do with Oedipus's Complex. If I try to apply Freud's theory to Hamlet, the only answer I can get is hiss extreme rage was shown as a back-reaction to his secret full-filled satisfaction; which doesn't seem to be plausible.

*****

Here are 5 words.

a) Misdeeds - immoral

b) Filial - pertaining to

c) Piety - dutiful respect or regard for parents, homeland, etc

d) Pedagogue - a school teacher

e) Wrath - strong