Free Hamlet Essays: Freud and Hamlet :: GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet Essay:   Freud and Hamlet    Freud believed that Hamlet did not kill Claudius the first time he saw him because Hamlet saw himself as the enemy. This sounds like a solid reason to me.   Who am I to say that it is not?   However,   I also find   Samuel Taylor Coleridge's   reasoning very interesting.   He believed that Hamlet did not kill Claudius the first time because he was praying.   This sounds almost too easy, although very legitimate.   Now, I am not one to say which interpretation is right, or even ponder if either is right; however, they both come credible critics. So, who is right and who is wrong--that is the question?   No?   Maybe both are right to an extent. We do not actually know what Shakespeare was feeling when writing Hamlet.     Ã‚   This brings me to the point Chris Early made previously.   I, like Chris, do not believe that works should only be investigated on the surface, but it is difficult to uncover every meaning of every aspect of every work.   Is there always something bigger and more meaningful than the original words?   Sometimes I would say yes, and sometimes no.   So, this leads me to my next question: how does one know if the words mean something bigger or not?   I believe that there is no actual way to know if something has hidden meaning or not; therefore, almost everything is scrutinized as if it does.   I am not trying to make silly excuses;   I am being completely serious.   No one, even the great critics, know what is symbolic and what is not; therefore everything is considered symbolic in the beginning, causing some sort of symbolism to be uncovered.  Ã‚   Whether this symbolism is correct, no one will actually know.   As Chris touched on, who knows what Shakespeare was thinking when writing Hamlet?   We can only make educated guesses at what Hamlet was thinking when he withdrew from killing Claudius the first time.   These educated guesses come from what the reader thinks, along with what critics have interpreted and written.

Social Influences on Behavior

Social Influences on Behavior Somchai Knorr Grantham University Social Influences on Behavior â€Å"Sociologists and philosophers had recognized that people behave differently in crowds than they do as individuals and that a crowd is more than the mere sum of its parts† (Kowalski & Western, 2005). Human behavior changes based on social situations individuals may encounter, and these encounters may begin as early as toddler years. Individuals learn to adapt to society by changing their behavior in order to â€Å"fit in† with the rest of the crowd. Two examples of how an individual’s behavior changes based on social situations are when a) a person decides to drink liquor at a social event. The second example of when an individual’s behavior changes based on social situations is b) when a person decides to smoke marijuana or cigarettes. One may see these behaviors in an individual who regularly does not behave like so when they are trying to act like â€Å"everyone else. † These behaviors may be seen in situations such as a party, a club, or a popular social event, where an individual will find it fitting to behave differently to receive recognition from other social crowds. Precursors and Consequences â€Å"When he first arrived on campus at age 18, he figured he had to drink if he wanted to fit in, even though the legal drinking age is 21† (Wilson, 2008). Students, especially in colleges and universities, find themselves in situations where they believe they have to take part in drinking and partying to get approval from the rest of the student body to increase their self-esteem and popularity. An example of social comparison would be a student drinking and smoking to fit in with the crowd. Adults may also find themselves peer pressured to drink alcohol or smoke when taking part in extracurricular activities, such as going out to clubs or attending social events, to feel relaxed or content. Drinking and smoking is advertised on a daily basis as a way of â€Å"enjoying the party. † One example that I have observed would be with the recent kick off of the American football season. My television sets are invaded with beer commercials emphasizing on how fans seem to enjoy the game more when they are drinking a beer, when I visit my ocal Wal-Mart or Publix, there is an area designed just for football fans made of beer products. Social psychology concepts concentrate on the individual and the situation in which that individual is in. As mentioned above, self-esteem is one of the examples that apply to individuals who use liquor, marijuana or tobacco as a coping mechanism. The self-concept of one not being able to function correctly without the liquor or the tobacco in their system is another concept of social psychology. In the long run the individual is at risk of affecting his or her health, their education, and their social standing. Associated Phenomenon Phenomenon’s such as social facilitation and social influence have been associated with behaviors, such as drinking and smoking in social events. Social influence â€Å"Social influence, effects of the presence of others on the way people think, feel, and behave† (Kowalski & Westen, 2005). Social influence is associated with both behaviors because the changes in behaviors are due to the attitudes of others or guidance towards a particular direction, in this case the drinking and smoking of tobacco or marijuana. Another example of how social influence affects the behavior of an individual in guiding them towards smoking or drinking with the perception that getting involved is pleasurable and accepted widely among other peers. One might find themselves as the only person the group of peers that does not smoke or drink, at one point or another they will involve themselves in the same activities because everyone else is drinking and smoking and they have not had any severe apparent consequences. When it becomes a routine for everyone around oneself to party constantly and go on drinking and smoking binges, conformity is another phenomenon that occurs because this person is accommodating themselves to standards of the rest of the group. Social facilitation Social facilitation is another phenomenon that is associated to individuals who use drinking and smoking as an excuse to behave in a certain way. Individuals use drinking as a way to express their feelings better in a group of people or towards a certain individual. For example, when a person drinks while out at a club or a party, they may feel as if they have the confidence to approach others they may find attractive or laugh and dance within the group of partygoers. â€Å"Small amounts of alcohol might dull painful feelings† (C. A. M. H. , 2008). Just as individuals use drinking and smoking as a way to feel happy and relaxed others use these substances to feel numb. Individuals use alcohol as a gateway to forgetting any traumatic events in their lives such as being sexually, physically, or emotionally abused. The stress of dealing with other individuals, like a significant other, a parent, or a child, with mental or health issue also leaves behind emotional distress, and one may feel that the way of dealing with the stress is to drink. Recently a close friend started smoking cigarettes; I questioned her on why she had taken on this habit. Her response left me flabbergasted; it seemed ridiculous to me, that she had taken on this habit because it was a way of dealing with the stress of having three children at the age of 21. Therapeutic Intervention When an individual or an individual’s family and friends consider therapeutic intervention it is for the simple fact that the behavior has escalated to an uncontrollable degree. When an individual loses control of his or her life, the therapeutic intervention is what provides the guidance, reasoning, and inspiration for the person to make the needed changes to get back on track. The determining factor of whether a person should consider therapeutic intervention or not is the frequency and quantity of alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana is consuming. Another determining factor would be the reason of why this individual has taken on this behavior. As mentioned earlier, many people begin smoking marijuana or cigarettes and begin drinking alcohol when they have encountered stressful situations as well as having to deal with traumatic events. Conclusion As examined, behaviors such as smoking and drinking are changed endured by humans based on social situations they encounter. Social situations such as parties or traumatic past events may trigger oneself to act a certain way or take on new habits. Individuals may feel that by partaking in certain activities their social standings will improve. Unfortunately, if the right amount of self control is not applied an individual may find oneself overwhelmed and become addicted to a substance or lifestyle. References Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. PAHO. (2008). Retrieved October  11, 2009, from http://www. camh. net/About_Addiction_Mental_Health/Drug_and_Addiction_Informatio n/Women_and_Alcohol/alcohol_feelings. html Thadani, Vandana; Huchting, Karen; LaBrie, Joseph. (2009, August 1). Alcohol-related information in multi-component interventions and college students' drinking behavior The Free Library. (2009). Retrieved October 10, 2009 from http://www. thefreelibrary. com/Alcohol-related information in multi-component interventions and†¦ -a0207704284 University of Phoenix. (2009). Week Five Readings: Psychology, Chapter 15. Retrieved October 6, 2009, from University of Phoenix, Week Five, PSY/300—General Psychology Web site. Wilson, Brenda. (2008, October  23). University Uses ‘Social Norming' to Curb Drinking. NPR Health. Retrieved from http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=95937183 Social Influences on Behavior Albert Fish was a 20th century serial killer, child rapist, sadomasochist, and cannibal. This paper is a brief description focused on the forces that impacted his life from the viewpoint of developmental psychology. The author made an effort to distinguish between the influences of hereditary and environment on psychological development. He also explains what family issues and social support systems may have influenced Albert Fish’s developmental growth and adjustment. Two different theories of personality selected by the author was applied to Fish, which includes a discussion of how each theory differs in terms of how it explains Fish’s unique patterns and traits. The author also makes a determination regarding which theory he believes best explains Fish’s behaviors and achievements. Forces That Impact Life: Developmental Psychology Developmental psychology is defined as â€Å"The branch of psychology concerned with the study of progressive behavioral changes in an individual from birth until death† (Farlex, 2011). Albert Fish’s rough childhood contributed to the person he became, along with other factors that occurred throughout adulthood. He was born to poverty on May 19, 1870. His father passed away on October 15, 1875. His mother could not take care of Fish, therefore, she placed him in a religious orphanage called Saint John’s Orphanage. Here he learned to lie, cheat, beg, and steal. He also experienced and seen wrong-doings no boy, or person, should. Albert Fish was whipped bare-bottomed at the orphanage and was forced to witness other boys being whipped. He said this abuse was the beginning of his ruined mind. During his interview, before his execution, he said he felt his first sex feeling while watching the other boys be whipped, which eventually developed while he was receiving the abuse. When Fish left the orphanage, he felt the need to satisfy these sexual urges with sexual experimentation and prostitution, which included men. His needs and urges became very sadomasochistic. He enjoyed what hurt. He inflicted pain on not only himself, but also on others. He would not stop until he reached his climax, and progress on with the torcher for days. In his late 20s, Albert Fish married. His wife had the same types of sexual interest as he. While he was married, he continued to lead a double life by fulfilling his sadomasochistic fantasies with boys. He made this way of life easily obtainable by working as a traveling housepainter and being away more than he was home. Fish traveled all over the United States. â€Å"I had children in every state,† Albert Fish stated during his interview (Borowski, 2006). After 19 years of marriage, Albert Fish’s wife left him for another man. She had sent their six children off to the movies, and they came home to an empty house. He came home to find his six children alone and discover she had taken everything. Fish believed this was his breaking point. His children testified, during his trial, although he never hit them or raised his voice to them, they did witness his self-torcher. They testified to finding blood covered boards with nails sticking out of one end and to seeing him drive needles into himself. An x-ray was taken of his pelvic region that showed 29 needles lodged within. In 1928, approximately five years after his wife abandoned him and their children, Albert Fish decided to act upon a growing urge. He responded to a newspaper advertisement of a young boy looking for employment. After he responded by telegram, he arrived at the young man’s house, bearing lunch. He quickly lost interest in the young man once Fish seen his younger sister, Grace Budd. He convinced her parents to let him take her to his niece’s birthday party, which was fictional. She was to never be seen again. Albert took Grace to an old abandoned house where he tricked her into coming into the house where he was naked, waiting for her. He strangled her, cut her up into little pieces, and devoured her. Fish said that he got the idea of cannibalism from his uncle in 1894, which was never verified. His uncle, Captain John Daus, sailed to China during the time of a famine. Children were sold to be butchered. They were brought out in parts to be cut to one’s choosing and sold as veal. The captain told his nephew human meat did taste of veal, and the behind was the sweetest part. The captain stole two children to bring home with him. He beat their behinds for days, while they were still alive, to make it nice and tender. Albert Fish decided he had to try it. Not only did the environment in which he grew up shape Albert Fish, it is believed that his genetic influences may have had a huge impact as well. â€Å"His family had a history of mental illness: his uncle suffered from religious mania, a brother was confined in the state mental hospital, another brother had died of hydrocephalus and his sister had a â€Å"mental affliction†. Three other close relatives suffered from severe mental illnesses and his mother was believed to suffer frequent aural and/or visual hallucinations† (Farlex, 2011). Albert Fish seems to fall in the postconventional moral development area of psychological development. Postconventional morality is how â€Å"people reason using abstract, self-defined moral principles that may not match conventional moral beliefs† (Kowalski & Western, 2009). Fish was a very religious man. He claimed that his reasoning for his crimes were of religious purposes. He took the word of the Bible and twisted it to make his doings the work of God. Several times he said he was visited by Jesus Christ. Jesus would give him messages telling him what to do. Fish identified religion with suffering. In all his doings, he thought he was doing right because no angels came and stopped him as they did in the story of Abraham and the sacrifice of his son Isaac. The word ‘stripes’ in the Bible he referred to the lashes left by being whipped. He performed castrations and sacrificed virgins. Fish put cannibalism on the same level as communion. Eat the flesh and drink the blood, and they will become one with him, and he with them. This made Albert Fish feel God-like and powerful. He said he inserted the needles into his pelvic region to purge himself of sin by torcher. Theories of Personality The two different theories of personality selected are the drive model of Freud’s theory of psychodynamics and the cognitive-social theory. â€Å"Freud reasoned that if a symptom is not of physiological origin and the patient is consciously trying to stop it but cannot, then opposing the conscious will must be an unconscious counter-will of equal or greater magnitude† (Kowalski Western, 2009), which is the basis for his theories. The drive model was proposed by two basics: sex and aggression. Albert Fish used both together to shape his life. To him they were one and the same. He enjoyed and got off the torcher of himself and others. â€Å"Cognitive–social theories share the behaviorist belief that learning (rather than instinct, conflict, or defense) is the basis of personality and that personality d ispositions tend to be relatively specific and shaped by their consequences. However, they also focus on beliefs, expectations, and information processing† (Kowalski & Western, 2009). This theory shows how environmental demands, and the way one processes the information about themselves and the world can have an effect on one’s interaction of a situation, such as school or in an orphanage, and one’s learned tendencies to behave in a certain way in a certain circumstance, which in turn can reflect one’s knowledge and beliefs. Albert Fish’s environment at the Catholic orphanage demanded him to watch other boys get whipped. He was also whipped himself. He began to relate this abuse to sexual gratification by torching himself and others. He also connected suffering to religious aspects, such as being purged of sin. In the end believed the religion was his reason for his crimes. The author believes the cognitive-theory best explains Albert Fish’s behaviors and achievements because of his strong belief that what he was doing was an act of God. If Fish was never subjected to the environment at the orphanage, he may not have developed the sexual urge from torcher. The author also believes many other factors in Fish’s life contributed to his deranged achievement, such as the family history of mental illness and the psychotic break, which occurred when his wife abandoned him and his children. Albert Fish’s environment and religious upbringing was horrid yet detrimental to his moral psychological development. It is obvious that family issues and support systems along with hereditary influences has greatly impacted his life and influenced his behaviors and achievements. Albert Fish was found guilty of murder in the first degree and sentenced to death by electric chair. He was 65. References Farlex. (2011). The Free Dictionary. Farlex, Inc. Retrieved May 22, 2011 from The Free Dictionary by Farlex: http://www. thefreedictionary. com/developmental+psychology Kowalski, Robin and Western, Drew. (2009). Psychology. 5th Ed. Chp. 10, 12, and 13. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved May 22, 2011 from the University of Phoenix: https://ecampus. hoenix. edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/TOC. aspx? assetMetaId=e5b1e2e8-3a11-4d07-970f-cecd423d9973&assetDataId=63bf6c04-77c0-4129-afdb-dd2c6b73eccf Borowski, John. (2006). Albert Fish: In Sin He Found Salvation. Waterfront Productions. Schechter, Harold. (1990). Deranged: The Shocking True Story of America’s Fiendish Killer!

Honor, Glory, Legacy Of The Iliad - 1735 Words

Honor, Glory, Legacy How important is it to be honored? To gain glory in this life? To secure a lasting legacy? To the Greeks and Trojans in Homer’s famous epic, The Iliad, these were the most important things in life. The Greeks of Homer’s time believed that personal honor and glory was just that, personal. Honor and glory belonged to the individual who was skilled and accomplished enough to obtain it for himself. This honor and glory was held in the highest regard, and the worldview that honor and glory are the most important things in life is strongly depicted by Homer throughout The Iliad. The Judeo-Christian worldview depicted in the Old Testament of the Bible contrastingly teaches that all honor and glory belong to God. The heroes of the Old Testament did not attempt to secure the honor and glory of their actions and deeds for themselves, rather they gave it to God. The Greeks, however, saw gaining and maintaining personal honor and glory as foundational to life. They never missed an opportunity to gain personal honor and glory, and certainly never gave away the credit for their deeds. Throughout The Iliad, the characters’ choices and actions revolve around their desire to gain and maintain personal honor and glory. Gaining personal honor and glory--through great deeds, revenge for slights, and through one’s legacy--is a main theme in Homer’s The Iliad. Homer’s clear descriptions of the actions of the heroes in his epic give modern people a clear view into the psycheShow MoreRelatedHonor And Glory By Homer1574 Words   |  7 PagesOctober 5, 2015 Honor and Glory The idea of obtaining honor and glory are what Greek characters dedicate their lives to. The Greeks lived by a heroic code, which shaped their society. Being remembered, as a great warrior, is one of the highest honors a Greek soldier can obtain. Honor and glory are the cause of the Trojan War, which takes the lives of many men. Honor and Glory are what define the hero in the epic poem, The Iliad, written by Homer. Throughout the Iliad, honor and glory is the motivationRead MoreKleos in the Iliad Essay1074 Words   |  5 PagesKleos in the Iliad When we consider the Hero in ancient Greek culture, we must forget our notion of what a hero is. The ancient Greek concept of a hero was different from our own cultures. The motivation for any Homeric Greek is glory, or Kleos, that is to be honored and respected among their people. Not only does kleos imply being honored and respected, it literally means ‘to be heard.’ Achieving kleos entails that your tale and ultimately you will live on forever. Kleos is essentialRead MoreTheme Of Gender In The Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Mahabharata1051 Words   |  5 Pagesdisintegrated down to their sexual appeal. â€Æ' Set 2: Is honor or legacy more important for Achilles? Thesis: Achilles need to uphold his honor guides his actions and ultimately, his fate. 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The start of wars with the Hebrews are influenced by the Israelites’ displease from or to God, or simple rule violations; Greeks’ wars are influenced by damage to the already-threatened reputationRead MoreThe Timeless Truths of Homers Iliad1784 Words   |  8 PagesJames Hutchinson Ms. Spicer AP Literature 20 August 2010 Homers Timeless Truths Is Homers The Iliad relevant to todays society? Is this work a timeless parable depicting universal human truths transcending time and context or merely a superbly-crafted epic poem to be studied and admired for its stylistic brilliance? Has the text endured simply because of Homers dramatic verse or because of the timeless human truths it conveys? Was it written to persuade readers to question the moral implicationsRead MoreRelationship Between Odysseus And Telemachus1679 Words   |  7 Pageslike a mother would. 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The trade of battle was a way of life to the Greeks back in Homer’s time. ChildrenRead MoreDeath Of The Great Mysteries Of Human Existence1187 Words   |  5 Pageshave one unitary view. Various cultures conceptualize death, as seen through their unique beliefs, feelings, and native practices often represented in literature. In ancient Greek mythology, and in light of the Trojan War, warriors strove for glory and honor in their mortal lives. The people believed in an afterlife in which their souls would be transported to the â€Å"Underworld.† There, all social statuses and political situations became meaningless. The souls themselves existed, but had no purposeRead MoreAnalysis Of Plato s Apology And Crito Essay1857 Words   |  8 Pagesbodily pleasures, Socrates relates himself to Achilleus, a warrior in Homer’s Iliad, whose philosophies heavily coincide with the Homeric era: honor and glory are the motivating factors for how people should live their lives. 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