A Psychological Analysis of Romeo and Juliet Essay -- William Shakespea

A Psychological Analysis of Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet was obviously not written to fit the psychoanalytic model, as the theories of Freud were not developed for centuries after Shakespe atomic number 18. Shakespeare wrote to Renaissance England, a culture so heavily steeped in Christianity, that it would have blushed at the instinctual and sexual thrust of Freuds theory. However, in order to keep literature alive and relevant, a culture must continually reinterpret the themes and ideas of past works. While contextual readings assure cultural precision, a lot these readings guarantee the death of a particular work. Homers Iliad, a monument among classical works, is currently not as renowned as Romeo and Juliet because it is so heavily dependent on its cultural context. Just as writers have the liberty to reinterpret works to make them more relevant to their particular time, so to should commentators be allowed to criticize a work with modern ideas. For all the blatant and cove rt sexual content of Shakespeares plays, they are in no means subscribing to a psychoanalytic construction. With that said, a psychoanalytic construction makes this play more relevant to modern readers, as psychoanalytic ideas are so pervasive they are either thoughtlessly accepted or flippantly rejected. Either way, Freudian ideas are a filter through which modern readers can understand the actions of Romeo and Juliet. The ideas employ to interpret this play are not classically Freudian, but rather a more contemporary understanding of psychodynamics as influenced by modern empirical theory. The ideas of Ernest Becker, one of the more influential figures in the new psychoanalysis, are used throughout this psychological examination.Suicide is the doma... ...t life. Suicide is the most extreme manifestation of this cultism of life. A more moderate manifestation of this fear is depression. Early in the play, Romeo is described as having depression like symptoms. As the love aff air progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that Romeo can not handle life without Juliet. By the end of the play, he kills himself because he can no longer have Juliet. Romeos net act of suicide is not completely based on the death of Juliet. The depression he exhibits at the onset of the play is already exhibiting his desire to miss life. Works CitedBecker, Ernest. The Denial of Death. New York The Free Press, 1973.Cox, Marjorie C. Adolescent Processes in Romeo and Juliet. Psychoanalytic Review 63 (1976). 379-392.Faber, M.D. The Adolescent Suicides of Romeo and Juliet. Psychoanalytic Review 63, (1976). 169-181.