Hamlet's Insecurity

The psychological stability of many of the characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet can be seriously brought to question, this is undeniable. From Ophelia’s manic episode to Claudius’ inability to control his lusts, it is beyond evident that there is a fair bit of mental frailty present in the plotline. Whilst trying to pigeonhole each character into the model of a complicated Freudian theory however, one tends to ignore the more common and simplistic dynamics of psychology in the process, hence missing more likely explanations for the characters’ actions and contributions. One such overlooked element is insecurity, a trait that plagued more than one of Hamlet’s characters, but none more than the man himself. Above all, Hamlet’s insecurities, which

Hamlet idolized his father, going so far as to say: “He was a man. Take him for all in all. / I shall not look upon his like again.” (1.2.187), essentially calling him a perfect man and king. Minor dialogue from other characters throughout the play confirms that this is generally the concurrent opinion of Hamlet Sr. from everyone, not just his son. At the same time however, Hamlet views his father as a role model, as he is second in line for his throne. It goes without saying that those are some incredibly big shoes to fill, and lofty expectations to have for yourself, and it is clear that Hamlet sees himself as lesser of a

Insecurity is known to destroy romantic relationships, and that is clearly what happened in this case. When Ophelia went to return Hamlet’s gifts he denied that he ever loved her saying, “You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not,” (3.1.120). This showcases his insecurity in two ways. His comment is very self deprecating, and additionally, he told her this when she was effectively ending things with him. He did this to spare himself any embarrassment, and appear as if he wasn’t vulnerable. Both sure signs of