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⬅️ “Bargains with Fate : Psychological Crises & Conflicts in Shakespeare’s Plays”
KEY THEMES
• Psychological Crises — Characters often face profound internal conflicts that drive their decisions & shape their destinies.
• Negotiation with Fate — The concept of making bargains with fate highlights the tension between free will & determinism in character actions
• Character Interpretations — The evolving understanding of Shakespeare’s characters reflects changing societal values & psychological theories over time.
• Crisis & Conflict — Central to the narrative are the crises that characters endure, which often lead to transformative outcomes
FROM Bernard J. Paris & Theodore I. Rubin (2009) – eminent Shakespearean scholar
In this work, we see how Shakespeare endowed his tragic heroes with familiar inner conflicts & enduring human qualities that make them relevant to people of any era.
Paris uses a psychoanalytic approach inspired by Karen Horney’s theories to analyze 4 major personality types, representative of the Bard’s other works. The author’s combination of literary & psychoanalytic perspectives provides a deeper understanding of human behavior.
The PROBLEM : Shakespeare’s characters are in a state of crisis because their Bargains with Fate have failed – the false belief that they can (magically) control their destinies by living up to the ‘rules’ of their defensive strategies.
Dr. Paris (pgs 15 – 32) : The most familiar type of Bargaining is for a person to promise to reform their behavior when they’ve gotten themself in trouble (after the fact), &/or to perform some act of contrition / self-restriction, to prevent punishment from the ‘powers that be’
“….but this type of Bargains-with-Fate are those in which we believe we can control fate by living up to its presumed dictates – not after it grants our wishes – but before. If we think, feel & behave the way we are supposed to – we will receive our just deserts, whatever we may think they are. Fate is often conceived of as God, but our bargains can be with ourselves, other people, or impersonal forces in the universe as we see it.
The terms of the bargains are not really determined by external forces, but dictated by our own defensive strategies. Bargaining is primarily a magical process conforming to impossible lofty demands of whichever neurotic defense we choose (Horney called “private religion”) that will enable us to attain those impossible lofty goals.” (MORE ….. ‘inside’)
Unfortunately for this kind of bargainer – sooner or later their ‘deal’ always crashes & burns, causing great suffering. Yet many people refuse to give up the fantasy wishes & hopes of the Idealized Self (I.S) & live in perpetual disappointment. 
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
a. used to deal with feelings of fear, isolation, helplessness, hostility, powerlessness….
b. used against both deep insecurity & vague anxiety
TOXIC SOLUTIONS
1. Self-effacing / Compliant
2. Aggressive / Expansive :
– a. Narcissist , b. Perfectionist, – c. Vindictive
3. Detached / Resigned
(full CHART in Part 2)
⬇️ OUTLINE re. the 4 CHARACTERS (pgs 35-177)
🕴HAMLET (H) – He struggles with fate after his father’s ghost reveals the truth, leading him to seek revenge that spirals into tragedy.
▫️H & the Ghost / ▫️H’s conflicts in Act 2
▫️H’s Problem: “This too too solid flesh”
▫️H’s Conflicts : “To be or not to Be” / “Get thee to a nunnery” /
“Yet have I in me something dangerous”
▫️The closet scene / ▫️ More Oscillations
▫️In the hands of providence / ▫️ Wish-fulfillment end
🕴 OTHELLO – His insecurities and manipulation by Iago create a false sense of control, resulting in catastrophic consequences.
▫️Iago’s character / ▫️ Iago’s crisis
▫️Psychological Functions of Iago’s Plot
▫️Othello’s Triumph / ▫️ Othello’s Vulnerability
▫️Othello’s Transformation / ▫️ An Honorable murder?
▫️ Bewitched Desdemona : “The Inclining Desdemona”
/ “His scorn I approve” / “Who hath done this deed?”
«
🕴 KING LEAR – His decision to divide his kingdom based on flattery leads to madness & betrayal, illustrating the dangers of misjudging fate
▫️The Love test / ▫️ Cordelia’s Compulsiveness
▫️Collapse of Lear’s Fantasy / ▫️To Plainness Honor Bound
▫️Rhetoric vs. Mimesis / ▫️ Blows & Defenses
▫️”In such a night as this!” / ▫️Unaccommodated Man”
▫️Lear & “Poor Tom” / ▫️”Let Copulation Thrive
▫️Paradise Regained / ▫️ Spiritual rebirth?
▫️”All Cheerless, Dark & Deadly”
▫️Death of Cordelia / Conclusion
🕴 MACBETH (M) – He makes a pact with the witches, believing he can control his destiny, which ultimately leads to his downfall.
▫️M’s Inner conflicts – before the murder
▫️Macbeth & Lady Macbeth
▫️M’s Inner conflicts – after the murder
▫️The murder of Banquo / ▫️M’s Transformation
▫️The villain as Hero / ▫️ The Death of Macbeth
NEXT: POWER – 4 Types of BIZ Politics (#1)
