Editing Hamlet (section)

====Jacques Lacan====
In the 1950s, the French psychoanalyst [[Jacques Lacan]] analyzed ''Hamlet'' to illustrate some of his concepts. His [[structuralism|structuralist]] theories about ''Hamlet'' were first presented in a series of [[The Seminars of Jacques Lacan|seminars]] given in Paris and later published in "Desire and the Interpretation of Desire in ''Hamlet''". Lacan postulated that the human [[psyche (psychology)|psyche]] is determined by structures of language and that the linguistic structures of ''Hamlet'' shed light on human desire.{{sfn|Britton|1995|pp=207–211}} His point of departure is Freud's Oedipal theories, and the central theme of mourning that runs through ''Hamlet''.{{sfn|Britton|1995|pp=207–11}} In Lacan's analysis, Hamlet unconsciously assumes the role of [[Phallus#Psychoanalysis|''phallus'']]—the cause of his inaction—and is increasingly distanced from reality "by mourning, [[Fantasy (psychology)|fantasy]], [[narcissism]] and [[psychosis]]", which create holes (or [[lack (manque)|lack]]) in the real, imaginary, and symbolic aspects of his psyche.{{sfn|Britton|1995|pp=207–211}} Lacan's theories influenced some subsequent literary criticism of ''Hamlet'' because of his alternative vision of the play and his use of [[semantics]] to explore the play's psychological landscape.{{sfn|Britton|1995|pp=207–211}}