Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology PSY 410 September 28, 2011 Abstract “The blunt realities of mental illness shatter our most deeply held convictions about the nature of human consciousness and behavior. The mentally ill are more different than us than we can imagine and more like us than we care to admit.” (Valentine, 2011) This quote paints a poignant and provocative picture of Abnormal Psychology. Its eloquent phrasing leads us to look at the concept of abnormality through multifaceted lenses exposing the fine line that defines normal and abnormal. In the fairly young science of Abnormal psychology we are asked to consider thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as viable ways to determine the mental wellness of an individual. It is through the understanding of the past that we may move forward into the future.
In the plays Equus by Peter Shaffer and Hamlet by the late William Shakespeare, insanity and its effects is explored in portraying two different representations of madness. Hamlet, placed collectively with Alan, effectively raises an understanding into both of their dilemmas, projecting two accounts in which to compare and contrast one with the other. The issue of mental illness is successfully highlighted in this paired text study, with the individual types of madness being made more visible and in addition making it easier to distinguish why they went mad. The individual incentives in regards to their insanity is also brought to the fore and the consequences are effectively displayed. The two texts ultimately depict the difficulties that are linked in the treatment of insanity, presenting sobering measures in which to cure the mind of madness.
Both characters however are entrapped mentally to some extent, by their own minds and exhibit signs of madness. Madness is presented to some extent as constructed in both ‘Hamlet’ and ‘One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’- although Othello’s madness seems slightly real. Foucault’s theory of mental illness and institutions is that mental illness does not exist (This extract is seen in A general introduction to psychoanalysis) - it is rather a social construct and used to control
Shakespeare’s Hamlet has and intricate plot formed by the characters and themes throughout it. One major idea is Hamlet’s changing sanity, which fluctuates through the play as a performance and as a true madness. The other main theme which develops the play is the act of vengeance, with the delay and doubt that accompanies it. These themes, along with dramatic devices and the characters in the plot, add to the textual integrity of the play. There is a duality to the character of Hamlet, as his madness changes from a performance to true insanity throughout the play.
The third contrasts the Elizabethan Society with the modern one, which gives more scientifically and psychological reasons for the mental illness of Lady Macbeth. The rest of the task compares both interpretations of her mental illness and what took her to do such things and why did she end with hallucinations and insomnia which later drove her to her death. Word count: 234 “Macbeth” or “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is a play written by William Shakespeare around the 1606. The tragedy is about a man called Macbeth which is a brave fighter who is winning important battles for the King Duncan in Scotland. Three witches appear once and predicted his future; among those predictions was the one they said that soon Macbeth will reach the crown of Scotland supplanting the recent king, Duncan.
In addition, Rank is used to facilitate the development of central characters and the realism of Ibsen’s plot. This essay shall now proceed to justify the assertion that Rank, although a minor character, plays a substantial role in A Doll’s House. Ibsen presents Dr. Rank as a critically ill patient of an inherited venereal disease, hinted to be congenital syphilis (Austin, 2009), who makes several ruminations on death. Death is a recurring motif in the play and represents the purgation of sins against society’s moral code. Ibsen invokes this motif through Rank’s dialogues.
Analyse how the theme of madness is implied and portrayed in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, focusing on one section of the story. Passage focus for analysis - ‘Upon my entrance, Usher arose…’ to ‘periods of his most intense excitement’, including other parts of the text. Madness is a clear theme throughout The Fall of the House of Usher, and could even be argued to be the main point of the story, as the narrator himself eventually falls victim to the insanity that consumes the household. In this extract, the focus is upon the character of Roderick Usher, his mental decline and the physical consequences. The narrator describes him as ‘lying at full length’ on a sofa, which gives the reader the image of a weak, diseased man, but Poe creates antithesis to this portrayal with the suggestion of his ‘vivacious warmth’.
Sexual Abuse and Its Effects on Mental Health Millie Holt Rufus English Composition II – 1102 Professor Lockard June 16, 2012 Sexual abuse is the topic I have chosen to research, focusing on the mental health effects that it causes. Sexual abuse as defined in the Encyclopedia of Psychology is, “unwanted sexual activity with perpetrators using force, making threats, or taking advantage of victims not able to give consent” (12Ma19). After such a traumatic experience the victim usually suffers from mental health related illnesses such as, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and major affective disorders. While it appears that most sexual abuse is a physical crime against the body, it is also a crime that affects the victim mentally causing problems throughout their adult lives. Sexual abuse leaves both behavior and physical signs.
The play’s early scenes explore the sense of anxiety and dread that surrounds the transfer of power from one ruler to the next. Throughout the play, characters draw explicit connections between the moral legitimacy of a ruler and the health of the nation. Denmark is frequently described as a physical body made ill by the moral corruption of Claudius and Gertrude, and many observers interpret the presence of the ghost as a supernatural omen indicating that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (Act 1 Scene 4 line 67). The dead King Hamlet is portrayed as a strong, forthright ruler under whose
If Hamlet were to have seen his father’s ghost by himself, there would be a greater argument for him being insane from the outset of the play. Hamlet also exerts control over his actions, which is the main reason why it could be argued that he is sane. He actively tries to convince Polonius that he has gone mad - mocking him when he would usually be respectful, acting cruelly towards Ophelia whom he was clearly affectionate to earlier in the play. He does this in the hope that Polonius will tell the court of his madness. Hamlet is often hesitant to do things, for example where he had the chance to kill Claudius in the chapel but couldn’t bring himself to do it, not because he would be killing another human but because he wanted Claudius to suffer and not go straight to Heaven.