Shakespeare

In Shakespeare’s world, we have Othello, the tale of a jealous king who believes his innocent queen, Desdemona, has betrayed him sexually. In psychiatry, this type of paranoia is called the Othello complex. Hamlet is a Shakespearean character who illustrates the Oedipus complex at work. Hamlet is indecisive and passive, rather than active in avenging his father’s death because unconsciously he wished for his father’s death. His “to be or not to be” monologue is a brilliant display of his passivity. King Lear is an example of a narcissistic personality who needs his three daughters to prove their love for him. Two do so insincerely, and the third, Cordelia, speaks truthfully and simply. King Lear, stuck in a rigid personality, winds up forfeiting everything, including his kingdom, his life, and his children due to his foolishness and narcissism. Richard III is a portrait of a sociopathic personality who kills everyone on his path to the throne.