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.

[kageotogi.livejournal.com]

It's just for the thesis... Anyway, the class bothers me because it's so long and boring and freakishly stupid. I'm not learning anything from the class!

(...I feel like such a geek.)

[tir-synni.livejournal.com]

*^___^* I learned everything I needed to know from that class in the first week. Such a stimulating class.

[kageotogi.livejournal.com]

Mmm. Yes. Very true.

[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.

[kageotogi.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't write it until next semester, you realize... But I would gladly show you my paper, eventually. Any thoughts, ideas, tips, suggestions, want-to-sees? Do you think it's a good topic? T_T

What monologue are you doing? ^.^

[boobiequeen.livejournal.com]

I know. I think it's just an intriguing subject, because I don't know much about it...I'm just really learning and analyzing Hamlet this semester...have only ever just read it as another one of those Shakespeare things..heh. It's the one where Gertrude is telling Laertes that Ophelia is dead.

[kageotogi.livejournal.com]

^.^ Awesome. I'll keep you posted.

[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

[kageotogi.livejournal.com]

Over-achiever. ^_~ Your paper sounds pretty neat, though -- let me know how it works out!

[goddesstio.livejournal.com]

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

[kageotogi.livejournal.com]

Bah. Assuming I get approved and I can think of something about which to write, sure.

[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!

[kageotogi.livejournal.com]

Was the professor pushing any resources or books at you all? ^.^

[cerriorchid.livejournal.com]

i don't recall him saying any particular books, but i can ask someone in my class about it. if he has, she would have written them down. he does have a list of bibliographies that he used for the class.
m c andrews-"hamlet:revenge and the critical mirror" 9-23 (1978)
n alexander- Poison, play and a duel:a study in hamlet
r t brucher-"fantasies of violence:hamlet and the revenger's tragedy" 257-270 (1981)
p a cefalu-"damned custom..habits devil':Shakespeare's hamlet, anti-dualism, and the early modern philosophy of mind" 399-431 (2000)
m charney-style in hamlet
m charney-hamlet's fictions
anthony b. dawson-hamlet
h gatti-the renaissance drama of knowledge
philip fisher-"thinking about killing:hamlet & the paths among the passions" 43-77 (1991)
r a foakes-hamlet versus lear:cultural politics and shakespeare's art
j jump (ed)-hamlet
j lee-shakespeare's hamlet and the controversies of self
a mcGee-the elizabethan hamlet
m de grazia-"teleology, delay, and the 'old mole'" 251-67 (1999)
p mercer-hamlet and the acting of revenge
s mullaney-"mourning and misogyny:hamlet, the revenger's tragedy and the final progress of elizabeth I, 1600-1607" 139-62 (1994)
e prosser-hamlet and revenge
c c rutter-"snatched bodies:ophelia in the grave" 299-319 (1998)
j dover wilson-what happens in hamlet


hope these help you out. :)

[kageotogi.livejournal.com]

*__* Squee. You're awesome.

[cerriorchid.livejournal.com]

:) i try. i'm not sure what all is about the psychological aspect though. but i hope some of it atleast helps you.

[kageotogi.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it will. ^__^ Thank you.

[cerriorchid.livejournal.com]

you're welcome. :)

[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

[kageotogi.livejournal.com]

*giggle* No worries.

I'm a psychology nut; my major was originally psychology and not English (before I realized that I couldn't remember the parts of the brain to save my life), and I still maintain a bizarre fascination for it. So who knows? ^.^

[punkheid.livejournal.com]

Heh, are there many parts? (This could be problematic...) I do hope you do! Then I can pester you constantly for information on it haha! Good luck whatever you choose :)