Shakespeare in the City of Freud

Year 2019, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 69 - 81, 25.12.2019

Tuğçe Aras

Abstract

Measure for Measure which is among Shakespeare’s spectacular works of art, leaps to the eyes of audiences with its striking themes including morality and justice and plot in Vienna that is the city of Freud. The play is set in the 15th century that is long before Freud lives; however, it consists of various scenes which can be analysed with Freud’s outstanding theory ‘Psychoanalysis’. When the whole plot of the play and the behaviours of the characters are considered, his theory is cut out for examining regarding to sexuality and related to this, morality which are the main elements of the play. From beginning to end, one can witness hidden desires of human beings and psychological effects which are made up of these hidden desires that reveal themselves throughout the scenes and the attitudes of the characters. We come across the keystones of ‘Psychoanalysis’; id, ego, superego at all the doors that we open in the play and we encounter how they take form in human beings’ behaviours and their inevitable outcomes.

Keywords

Sexuality, Sexual Desires, Freud and Psychoanalysis, Id-EgoSuperego

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