Angst and Fear: A Heideggerian Re-Reading of Hamlet

• Main Authors: Chia-Hung Lin, 林嘉鴻
• Other Authors: Tsu-Chung Su
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/28990496894050751053

碩士 === 國立暨南國際大學 === 外國語文學系 === 93 === This thesis attempts to adopt Heideggerian ideas of angst and fear, which are rarely utilized as a literary approach, to examine Hamlet’s action and thought in order to discover a different and unknown aspect of Hamlet. In the Introduction, I will ask several questions about angst and fear first. Then, The Oxford English Dictionary will be consulted to show the definitions of angst and fear. Next, Heideggerian ideas of angst and fear will be briefly mentioned. Several similarities between Heidegger’s and Hamlet’s thought will be revealed. Also, the statement, and expectation of this thesis will be given. Finally, I will summarize each chapter of this thesis. In Chapter One, the methodology of this thesis, Heideggerian ideas of angst and fear, will be introduced and discussed. Several Heideggerian terms that are highly related to angst and fear will be explained, too. In Chapter Two, I will analyze the text of Hamlet, use Lyons’s analysis of “Melancholy and Hamlet” as guidance in the beginning, and expose Hamlet’s Heideggerian “uncanniness.” Also, I will reveal the ambiguity in the judgment on Hamlet’s being in the mood of Heideggerian fear or angst. In Chapter Three, I will point out how Hamlet becomes more and more angstlich (the adjective of angst) in the sense of Heideggerian ideas though there is still ambiguity in the judgment on Hamlet’s being in angst or fear. In the Conclusion, according to the previous analysis and inference, I will reflect upon the process and the ambiguity of Hamlet’s change of mood in the sense of Heideggerian ideas of angst and fear. The complexity and ambiguity of determining Hamlet’s mood and the realization from the complexity will be revealed. Then, my suggestions for future studies will be provided.