Hamlet-izing my thesis.

[kageotogi]

So I've been thinking on the Honors Thesis a little more, and I actually came up with an idea during Shakespeare (gasp!) today, between arguing with Doctor Smith about Gertrude's innocence and the whole inaction-action shindig. Basically, I would be psychoanalyzing Hamlet (this idea was reinforced when Doctor Smith actually read out a bit about Hamlet from one of Freud's publications). I'm not sure what I would say about him, but psychoanalytic criticism is one of the few things I actually enjoyed from Doctor Idris's class last year. So...

The downside to doing a Shakespeare thesis is that Doctor Smith would be my advisor, and I'm not entirely sure (a) that she likes me very much, (b) that I could put up with her obsession with Shakespeare, or (c) she'd be up for it (she's rather ill). Nonetheless, it's a topic that makes both the English major in me happy and the part of me that misses being a psych major (not that I ever really was one; I was just seriously considering it).

I googled a bit to see how do-able the topic would be, and the prospects are pretty good:

Hamlet and Oedipus Rex
Now, Mother, what's the matter?
Shakespeare in psychoanalysis

Those are only a few of the things I've found... so it's very, very do-able. What do you all think? Should I confront my fear of Doctor Smith and give this topic a shot?

Comments

[tir-synni.livejournal.com]

...You can barely stand being in her class for fifty minutes, and you want her to be your advisor.

[boobiequeen.livejournal.com]

I'd like to read it, if you do write it. I'm doing a Gertrude monologue for my premodern acting class.

[goddesstio.livejournal.com]

Cool : D

I'm doing my honors thesis on Intercultural Communications Around the Globe. It's basically Where I analyze a few countries, what languages are used and spoken inside the country, and how their native languages came about.

I've gotten the green light on this, and I'm actually kind of proud that I've decided on this while in my freshman year. : D

[goddesstio.livejournal.com]

Oh, and let me read your paper too ^_^ It sounds interesting.

[cerriorchid.livejournal.com]

one of my professors here brought up the idea of the oedipus complex with hamlet and had it as a choice of topics for our papers. there was the whole idea that hamlet couldn't kill claudius because he too wanted to kill old hamlet, so that he could get closer to gertrude. so he needed new motivation to kill claudius etc etc. it would be a good topic if you have enough to back it up. if you go for the broader gender or sexuality issues, i'm sure you'll find more information, but it's your choice. good luck!

[punkheid.livejournal.com]

I say yes! But perhaps my opinion shouldn't be listened to very much because A) I know nothing about Shakespeare, except that I've seen some of them in ballet form B) I know even less about Doctor Smith C) There is no C, but you can't have a list like this without one. =/

Psychology's always been something that interests me, and if you're the same I think it could be a pretty interesting thesis. So long as your fear doesn't ruin it hehe :S