January 2, 2020

CHILDLESS SHAKESPEARE: Parental Relations in Shakespeare's Plays,

“The Tragedy of Hamlet: The Prince of Denmark” and “Romeo and Juliet”
as a Dramatic Tool in Character Formation

Şeyma Yıldız

20194004011

English Language and Literature MA Program

CPLT 595 Academic Research Methods and Ethics

Asst.Prof.Dr Hatice Karaman

Abstract

This paper aims to develop another perspective on parental relationships and

children suffering as a result of their dependency on the parents in Shakespeare's plays.
It is written to reveal the parental role on the formation of the character of a child and
focuses on the plays “Hamlet” and “Romeo and Juliet” written by Shakespeare,
considering the concepts of psychoanalysis and child development theories by Sigmund
Freud and Vygotsky. It’s also dealing with the portrayal of the child through the
influence of parents.

Keywords: Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Children, parent-child relations, character formation,
psychoanalysis
1.Introduction

When focusing on the daily life of the Elizabethan Period, it reveals the details on how
they approached children in societal and family institutions, the concept of fitting into the image
of the “ideal child” and how Shakespeare reflected these points to his plays. As there were three
prominent social classes – lower, middle classes and aristocracy which are distinctly divided,
children were no exception. Even there was a specific class that was called “the helpless” which
included sick and disabled children. The Elizabethan Theatre was getting shaped by these social
classes and their clashes. Some of the reoccurring themes of the theatre, especially
Shakespeare’s, were ambition, conflict, corruption, formation, loyalty and love which derived
its subject from the society. In the plays, these themes were shown bluntly to the audience to
get certain reactions from them and to give a hidden message. Most of the Elizabethan plays
were based on “revenge tragedy” whereby filled with scenes of many killings, contrasting to
Seneca’s ideal on not showing the murderous and gore side of the plays on the stage. Theatre
was for adults, written and acted by them. It was no place for women actors and the only task
for the children on stage were to play female roles, such as Juliet and Ophelia. The women
characters were portrayed by young boys.

Children were omitted from many aspects of life. “Parenting” was not a prominent word
among even early modern English society. The concept of parenting was understood as only
taking care of the child’s fundamental needs. There was no appreciation for the children nor the
feelings of individuality of children. They seldom took part in the fields of art. This might be
the reflection of the high and increasing rate of infant deaths. Parents saw their children as their
property, tools to carry the family name and honor. Children were very submissive to their
families. Parents mostly raised their children to make sure that their legacies are inherited by
them and to have a relief of the assurance that their place in society will be taken by their
children. It wasn’t much of a normal definition of childhood for the Elizabethan children when
it is compared to the modern and postmodern world because of the responsibilities and high
expectations demanded by their parents. Boys were the only ones permitted to attend school.
Girls, on the other hand, were expected to stay at home with their mothers and wait for their
future husband to be chosen by their fathers. Children especially, if they were from a wealthy
family, were expected to follow very strict rules and were punished as the consequence of their
disobedience. They were supposed to make themselves useful as if they were objects in societal
structure. On behalf of the parents, it was the father whose duty was to maintain a good name
for his family and to protect their honor and reputation. He was decided as the role model for
the son and the mother for the daughter by society.

Even Shakespeare, the most well-known playwright of the Elizabethan Era, reflected
these social norms and definitions of his plays and sonnets. In Sonnet 17, he speaks about
children as something that keeps the parent alive even after death. According to him, one can
achieve immortality through their child carrying the legacy.

“But were some child of yours alive that time,

You should live twice, —in it and my rime.” Sonnet 17 (Shakespeare)

Shakespeare didn't have many children in his plays but he certainly did write about sons
and daughters suffering due to the decisions of their parents. Their burst of anger, uncontrollable
desires, mistakes and oppressive behaviors towards the children concluded as the suffering of
the children in his plays and many child characters come to a violent end. Many critics have
recognized that parent-child relations feature heavily in his plays involving fathers and
daughters. Mothers, on the other hand, more often either absent or dead (or they die eventually),
throwing the relationship of father-daughter into sharp relief.

2. Hamlet: Repression of the Desires and Self

Hamlet, with his age, might not be considered as a child but he is definitely someone’s
son. It is the play in which parent child relationships are extremely important. It defines the
characters and their motives. Whilst at the beginning of the play Hamlet’s actions are
understandable as a person who is mourning for the loved one’s death, his actions are shaped
by the unjust murder of his father. According to many critics, specifically to Sigmund Freud in
his “Interpretations of the Dreams”, the underlying reason for this metamorphosis from the
weeping son to a murderer is the mother’s involvement in the event. Parent and child relations
get more complicated because his mother is one of the conspirers of his father's death. He aims
to take revenge for his parent but in order to achieve his goal he has to kill his other parent, the
only parent who is still alive. Hamlet is a very philosophical and complex character and can be
approached in various ways. His relationship with the mother is an unhealthy one and might be
exemplified as the side effect of his Oedipal desires.
 "Oedipal desire for his mother and the subsequent guilt [is] preventing him from
murdering the man [Claudius] who has done what he unconsciously wanted to do". (Freud,
“Interpretations of the Dreams”)

Gertrude’s actions through the play forces Hamlet into becoming more tangled with the
decision of either killing or not. The impulse to kill his uncle and avenging his father increases
with his jealousy. In a way, he is jealous of his mother marrying the person who is responsible
for his father’s death. He doesn't want to share his mother with his uncle. It can be approached
to this situation by applying psychoanalysis and see the unhealthy parental relations having
much more effect on the formation of the characteristics which draw Hamlet's plan to murder
his uncle.

“Hamlet's second guilty wish had thus also been realized by his uncle, namely to
procure the fulfillment of the first -- the possession of the mother -- by a personal deed, in fact
by the murder of the father.” (Ernest Jones, Hamlet and Oedipus, W.W.Norton, N.Y. 1976)

The relationship between Gertrude and Hamlet seems to be an exception to the normal
mother-son connections. Even though Hamlet has distress about his Mother and uncle, he shows
no negative feelings to her because of his father’s death.

“It is the fate of all of us, perhaps, to direct our first sexual impulse towards our mother
and our first hatred and our first murderous wish against our father” (Freud)

According to Freud, the relationship between the parents and the child is which shapes
the later sexual and detestable emotions. Hamlet projects his desires to his mother and his hate
to the “false father”, Claudius. His uncle enables Hamlet to position himself in his father’s
place. Gertrude’s actions lead Hamlet to generalize women and associating them with his
mother. The emotions which caused by these relations lead Hamlet to criticize women in
allusion to Gertrude's marriage to his uncle. He cannot understand how the marriage shortened
her grief this sudden.

Hamlet:
"She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not, nor it cannot come to good.
 But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue."
(1.2.161-164)

Claudius' marriage to Gertrude is one of Hamlet's most important reasons for wanting
to kill his uncle. But he doesn't plan to kill Gertrude. He politely asks Gertrude not to go to bed
with Claudius; "go not to mine uncle's bed" (3.4.160) This kind of request might be unusual for
a son to ask from a mother but it's certain that he is concerned with his mother's well-being. In
response to his affection and caring, Gertrude seems to care deeply for Hamlet but her motherly
heart clashes with her position as the Queen. Whilst there is little information given about the
bond between these two characters, audience can sense the dilemma that both characters are
struggling with. For Gertrude choosing between her son and her lover and for Hamlet killing
his only living parent…

The death of King Hamlet, creates a setting for Hamlet to be interpreted as the faithful
and good son. Hamlet gets depressed about his beloved father’s death and shows a great sorrow.
Shakespeare might be using these to expose Hamlet as the ideal child with gratefulness. Prince
Hamlet changes through the play due to his struggle for killing a man and redefining his
relationship with his mother. His mother’s presence becomes a problem for him. This might
be seen as Shakespeare’s direct reflection of the society, positioning the father as an idol for the
son. In Janet Adelman’s book “Suffocating Mothers” this problem is stated with the lines:
“son’s identity is defined by his position between the fathers not the mothers”. We can see
Hamlet’s character if formed by the position of his father, a king who is murdered by his brother
and his wife.

The ghost of King Hamlet seems to be using his son as a tool for his personal needs. he
wants him to serve his own purposes by just following the directions. Hamlet delays his killing
of Claudius for five acts while doubting the reliability of his father s wisdom and decisions as
he is recently murdered and suffering between two worlds. He also struggles with the idea of
killing a human being which distresses his moral codes. He has the distress of achieving the
state of “good son-ideal child” by avenging his father’s death, which is considered as his duty.

King Hamlet (The Ghost)

“Do not forget. This visitation
Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose....”
(3.4-2805)
 In the play, not only Hamlet but also Laertes uses revenge as motivation and their
obsession with revenge demonstrates their general behavior. Both sons seek to right a wrong
by taking the role of the hero for their family. They use the murders of their fathers to justify
their plans to kill someone else. Their shared devotion allows Hamlet to respect Laertes as a
man. Though they attack each other, at the end of the scene they forgive each other.

The quality of the father son relationship plays a central role to the character
development as they look up to their father, idolizing and following his steps. The image of a
good son is associated with the issue of father's well-being. The son, in a way is the protector
of his father and the family, either saving his father's honor just like Hamlet by avenging his
death or physically protecting them. Son’s behavior towards his father is an important
determining aspect for being what type of a man he is and this goes both ways.

Polonius’s relationship with both of his children is based on his personal interest. He
uses them as tools to gain a higher position and to conspire with the new king. There is no faith
or affection that he shows to his children. He doesn’t trust his son, Laertes. He sends someone
to spy on him in France.His other child, Ophelia, is dominated by Polonius, her father. Instead
of her own, she is only be able to speak by his voice. As she is too dependent to her father, she
goes crazy with his death. Polonius often dominates the dialogues when he is with Ophelia and
silence her. Ophelia is a card that can be played to take several sorts of tricks. The only time
she can talk, she responds with obedience. “I shall obey, my lord.” (1.3-136) – Ophelia

She is not actually reflecting her feelings and portrays an image of a puppet whose
strings are controlled by the father. She says what exactly he wants to hear. Polonius completely
controls Ophelia’s feelings and disapproves her relationship with Hamlet. To profit from this
unwanted relationship, he uses Ophelia as a tool in his plans to destroy Hamlet's
sanity/reputation. During the time that Polonius is alive, Ophelia does not do anything to cross
him which perfectly fits in the Elizabethan Era image of ideal and dutiful child. Her identity is
bond to Polonius s wishes. Without him, Ophelia becomes empty and guideless and this leads
her to lose her mind. As she goes insane, she even forgets that she has a voice. She is stuck
between the sorrow of her father’s death and the impulse to express her true self. Eventually
this state of mind -or mindlessness- causes her death.“I would give you some violets, but they
withered all when my father died,” show Ophelia’s shattered mental state, as she is constantly
fixating on the death of Polonius, so much that everything reminds her of his passing.”
(Shakespeare IV 180-181).
 3.Romeo and Juliet: The Absence of the Guardian

Shakespeare heavily used the topic of the parent-child relationship in his play, Romeo
and Juliet, to criticize and to educate the society on this topic. His use of this topic by the ending
with both of the children’s death shows the inevitable side effect of their mistreatment towards
their children. The Capulets and Montagues lost their children because of the way they treated
their children. This might be the point which Shakespeare wanted his audiences to realize and
reconsider their approach to the children.

Juliet is a very contrasting character to the submissive characteristics of Ophelia; she

plans to trick her family to be with her lover and she almost achieves this. Romeo and Juliet are
two lovers whose families, Capulets and Montagues, hate each other because of an unknown
reason. This vendetta between the two families prevents the lovers to end up together. They try
to rebel against their parents however, in the end, they tragically end up dying. Their lives and
deaths are the products of their families’ negative influence and possessive attitude over them.
They were forced to do what they were told and what was expected by their parents and the
second they decide to deny this, the controversy starts.

To deeply analyze the difference between Juliet and Ophelia as two different daughters,
the examples can be found in details of Juliet's bravery. Her conflicted interactions with her
family are more apparent than Ophelia’s and even Romeo’s, who is in the same play.

At one point in the play, she starts to disagree and acts against her parent's wishes. She
becomes the figure of a daughter who rebels in the name of love. She, rather than accepting
Paris’s affection as her parents wanted, goes behind their back and elopes with Romeo. She
goes against her father’s choice of suitor. As a rebellious character, Juliet has much more stage
presence and linguistic strength in her lines compared to other daughters.

Daughters with obedience were pleasant figures that were desired among society. Being
submissive, meek and silent was considered as being an ideal child in the Elizabethan Period,
especially for the girls. In the plays of the period, when the daughter is submissive to the father,
she has very few lines and rarely an interesting personality. Obedience to parents is associated
with being silent, and rebellion is associated with high levels of expression in the plays. The
intensity of the submission to the father is directly linked with the intensity of the voice of the
daughter.
 JULIET:

“Good father, I beseech you on my knees,

Hear me with patience but to speak a word.”

LORD CAPULET:

“Hang thee, young baggage! disobedient wretch!

I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday,
Or never after look me in the face:
Speak not, reply not, do not answer me;
My fingers itch. Wife, we scarce thought us blest
That God had lent us but this only child;
But now I see this one is one too much,
And that we have a curse in having her:
Out on her, hilding!”

Daughters with an unreasonable father creates a sympathetic atmosphere towards to

daughter’s sufferings and her resisting behaviors to the father. In Shakespeare's time, the father
would have a major involvement in choosing the best future-husband for the daughter. Parents'
involvement and control over husband selection -or any choice the child makes- provided
material for Shakespeare to use in his plays as a dramatic tool and cause of the clash. In act 1
scene 2, Lord Capulet starts the negotiations with Paris about the marriage that he planned on.
At first, he wants Juliet to agree with his plan, however when he come across some resistance
from Juliet, he arranges the marriage without Juliet’s consent. This arrangement is the
breakpoint of Juliet’s arc because up to this point, her father was more understanding towards
her and had some level of respect to her wishes.

“And too soon marr'd are those so early made.

The earth hath swallow'd all my hopes but she,
She is the hopeful lady of my earth:
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
My will to her consent is but a part;
An she agree, within her scope of choice
Lies my consent and fair according voice.” Act 1 scene 2
 Juliet changes through the play from the obedient child to a rebellious one. Her parents'
approach to the unfortunate events of the killings from both families and their mistreatment to
Juliet’s opinions and emotions causes her to transform into something not expected from the
society; a rebel. At the beginning of the play, Lady Capulet is sent by her husband to talk with
Juliet. The conversation and Juliet’s reply exemplifies the expected behavior of society from
her when she is asked: “Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love?”

“I'll look to like, if looking liking move:

But no more deep will I endart mine eye

Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.”

Not only Juliet’s father but also her mother shows improper parental behaviors.
Maternal absence is touched upon in the play. Juliet’s role model in the play, in contrast to the
Elizabethan expectation, is her nurse, not her mother. The absence of the mother has a major
effect on Juliet’s character formation as she is left alone in the play. The dialogue between her
and her only companion, The Nurse, changes through the play as they have no blood relations.
And the nurse’s role as the mother fades during the play. (act 3 Scene 2) She no longer relies
on the nurse because she damages her trust by her inability to acknowledge Juliet’s feelings and
thoughts. The only two reliable people in her life, the mother and the nurse turn her adrift in
life. The Nurse and the mother fail as the guides of the child in her life which ends up with the
child’s struggle to find her own identity and choices. She finds her true self in her true love and
eventually, in order to be with him she “kills” herself. (Vygotsky, The Theory of Children’s
Development) Juliet's mother is not represented as a good role mother. With her absence and
vengeful opinions. (act 3 scene 5) She is so ignorant that she cannot see her daughter's real
sorrow. Their relationship is cold and distant.

Shakespeare wrote to Elizabethan society and culture which was heavily affected by
Christianity that would clash instinctual and sexual topics. It wasn’t expected from the child to
follow his/her instincts in life but to take the path chosen by the parents. It should be
remembered that star crossed lovers of the play were merely teens, a little older than children.
Yet their fates have been already decided by the parents, especially for Juliet, despite her age
she is under the pressure of getting married. According to Lev Vygotsky’s ideas on child
development theory, the cultural elements – customs, beliefs and values of the society- which
are passed on to new generations through the family, are very important elements on the
development of the children. Adults, parents and guardians stand as the knowledgably members
therefor are essential figures in the process. Children supposed to learn through their parents
and in later years this dependency on learning should become something more individual by
the experiences. It is the consequences of Lord Capulet’s attitude, not supporting his child and
being an inadequate parent, which leads Juliet to be attracted to Romeo and eventually commit
suicide for him. He is insensitive to Juliet’s emotions. In some parts of the play, Lord Capulet
shows affection and praises his children as far as Juliet obeys his rules and be submissive.
Parents, in the play, are unable to maintain a healthy communication due to their indifference.
Instead of providing essential care, affection and love to their children, they ignore their
individuality. These qualities are given to the children by the nurse and the friar, as their
guardians till some point. This ambiguity on who is responsible for the children, reflects on
Juliet’s personality.

Both Romeo and Juliet were expected to take on the roles of their parents as adults in
society from an early age and they were punished for their refusal to meet this expectation
which was their parents' wish. Romeo approaches Juliet by following his instincts without even
thinking about the consequences that might sully his and her families’ honor because their
families were enemies. The feeling he gets from this first rebellious attempt against his family,
and this is not only for Romeo but also for Juliet, increases the tension between the lovers.
Perhaps, the situation could be handled better with the parents accepting both children not as
their replacement in society but as individuals who are growing up to have their own identities
and choices forged by their own experiences.

In conclusion, the family/parent-child relationships have been the subject of theatre

since ancient Greek drama. Shakespeare used these relationships as tools to manipulate the
attributes of the character. It is the quality of the relationship between the parent and the child
which determines and helps to develop the character and its intensions as a character
construction tool. He uses children to point out the evil in those who mistreated a character, but
he never uses children as the instrument of the evil in his plays. The children are innocent. The
formation of Juliet’s character can be seen in the tension between her and her family members
which starts to built up from the beginnings of the play. It is Hamlet’s parents who directly have
an influence on his actions which led him to an insufferable position. Shakespeare perhaps,
through the sufferings of these children, tried to specify the effect of family members on
development of a character and its importance by recognizing children as individuals.
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