An Existential Crisis

There is a point in the play where Hamlet vocalizes his feelings of displacement and loss within his world. The “To be, or not to be” monologue plunges the audience into the confused psyche of Hamlet, allowing us to empathize with Hamlet's existential crisis. This window into Hamlet’s dilemma strikes the audience, it is relatable in that we all face moments in our lives where we stand back and question our socially and self-imposed roles. The ramblings of Hamlet echo through history, and those

centers on Hamlet and his existential characteristics, such as angst, isolation and his confrontations with nothingness. The exhibition of these characteristics proves Hamlet to be an existential character. The idea of Hamlet's father's (King Hamlet of Denmark) passing is what begins the cycle of existential thoughts and feelings within him. From the conflict raging inside Hamlet, stemming from the loss of his father, blooms the beginnings of a bigger, overall existential conflict that soon leads

Then, a study by Mary (2016) found out that one type of existential crisis usually occur in teenager and is referred as sophomore crisis. This crisis can lead to an identity crisis if not given awareness. She also said that existential crisis is different for people at different age groups and stated that there is an adult existential crisis that is far more complex that sophomore crisis. The main difference is that Adult Existential Crisis also deals with questions regarding legacy, mortality, and

results and interpretations. In particular, analysis of Hamlet through an existential lens, as a revenge-tragedy, as viewed through a Freudian philosophy, through analysis of the psychology of characters in other ways, and as it relates to the history surrounding it show particularly keen insights into the work itself. In the work, Hamlet himself frequently finds himself caught in a existential crisis, making the existential outlook on the play an appropriate one. Frequently throughout the play, Hamlet

identity crises and how they affect development as well. The concept of an identity crisis is quite important in discovering how the ego grows and identity develops, and it has been referenced many times in popular culture. Being that it is so relevant to everyone’s lives as Erikson believes, I picked this as a topic for this paper in order to understand the concept more. In this paper, I define Erikson’s idea of identity crisis and then compare it to three other works which revolve around the subject. Then

In “The Existential Crisis”, Andrews (2016) explains how modern society struggles to figure out the self. Existential crises produce anxiety within an individual until the crisis has been resolved. Three versions of existential crises have been identified: sophomore crisis, adult existential crisis, and later existential crisis. The sophomore crisis occurs when it is hard to identify the dimensions of the self which is usually in the late teens to early 20s. This can be resolved by helping the individual

agent responsible of his own fate development through their act of will. From there we can derive an existential crisis as a state where a person questions the foundation of his life and if it has any meaning, purpose or value. This could lead to anxiety, depression, stress and a loss of sense of purpose. In the following paper I will be exploring first what could cause or trigger an existential crisis and secondly what options the schools of thought offer to cope with such a problem. Every person

In Act I of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince Hamlet suffers an existential crisis. Claudius tries to convince Hamlet that his heartbreak is “sweet and commendable,” but eventually everyone dies, and his “filial obligation” has been fulfilled (I.ii.87-92). This rattles Hamlet’s perspective about life. His grief overwhelms him, and he is stunned by the fact that his uncle and his mother seem indifferent to the loss of their king. He wonders if life really matters since the throne and the court have

or unexpected happenings. But could it be instead a case of existential crisis? Existential crisis is when a person starts to worry or question the meaning of their life. Does life have a purpose? Does life have any value? If so, what is its value? In my case, it happens very often. Scared and alone, I often wonder about the meaning of my life. Is my life worth living? If you have felt this way, maybe you have a case of existential crisis. I am scared that I will not be able to accomplish my hopes

as struggling to find meaning in one’s personal existance (Frankl, 1959). An existential crisis occurs when someone questions the meaning of his or her life. No matter where a person is in life, there is always a chance of experiencing an existential crisis, or crisis or meaning, when an individual is faced with the concept of death (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2012). Another way that a person can experience existential crises is when they are challenged to establish a sense of self and what they