Hamlet can be analyzed from a wide variety of perspectives. It is a rich play capable of a number of interpretations of its various elements. William Shakespeare lived long before Freud developed his psychoanalytic theory, but both the playwright and the psychologist were dealing with their own sharp perceptions of human behavior. Shakespeare created full-bodied characters whose motivations and thought processes can be discerned from their words and deeds, and Freud offered a framework for analyzing human behavior and for understanding its origins. A psychoanalytic interpretation of the character of Hamlet offers one way of delving into some of the mysteries of the character, notably his indecision in carrying out the revenge with which he is charged by his father.
In Hamlet as in other Elizabethan drama, the fate of kings is tied to the order of the universe, and dissension and tension in one is reflected in the other. Yet, the issue is complex, and while the usurper has no right to rule, it is not always clear who has the right to prevent him from ruling. The hesitation of Hamlet, much commented on by critics, may derive from the fact that while he knows Claudio to be a regicide, to kill Claudio would make him a regicide as well. The usurpation of the throne leads to a more dangerous and uncertain environment in the land, and nature concurs by expressing through storms and other travails visited upon the people that a great political wrong is also a great moral and religious wrong. The effects of a regicide are seen in storms and the like because such actions offend the gods, or God.
In Hamlet the disorder in the kingdom derives from the fact that the natural order has been challenged--a king has been murdered by his wife and brother, and Hamlet is to act to restore the natural order by avenging his father. The appearance of the Ghost at the beginning of the play shows the degree to which the natural order has been ...