Ramesh1

SruthiRamesh
Mr.Mills
12AP
30March2015

FormalEssay#3TheSecretsWeKeep
Secretsareattheheartofthecomplexityofhumannature.Theyareprobablyoneofthe

mostrecognizableandrelatablepartsofanyrelationship,soitsnosurprisethatsecretsandtheir
importancearethesubjectsofmanypsychologicalandphilosophicaldebates.Whatcompelsus
totelloursecrets?Whydowekeepothersandwhatdoouractionsinrelationtothesecretswe
interactwithsayaboutus?Theanswerstothesequestionsoftenlieindailyinteractions,which
aremirroredinliteraturelikeShakespeare'sHamlet.Hamletprovidesmodelsofdifferenttypes
ofrelationships,mostofwhicharegroundedinsomesecretortheotherthus,theplayprompts
itsownquestionsabouttheeffectsofsuchsecretsonrelationshipsandtheeffectsofthe
relationshipsonthesecrets.
Attheverybeginningofthelifecycleofasecretisthewilltoshareapersonalsecret.
Perhapsthemoststriking(andpuzzling)instancesofadivulgenceofsecretoccursinHamlet,
whenPrinceHamletrevealstoGertrudethathesnotactuallymad.Thecontextofthis
revelationisparticularlysignificantbecauseitfollowsHamletsneedlessandrecklessmurderof
PoloniusanactthatwouldconfirmHamletsmadnessratherthancauseonetoquestionit.Yet
Hamletdivulgeshissecrettohismotherandaskshernottotellanyone(particularlyClaudius)
aboutit:Notthis,bynomeans,thatIbidyoudoravelallthismatterout,/ThatIessentially
amnotinmadness,/Butmadincraft(3.4.25852592).Thissimpleactofunnecessarily
revealingasecrettoapotentialadversaryrevealsagreatdealaboutHamletandshedslighton
potentialreasonsforthisunpromptedrevelation.ItsveryplausiblethatHamletismotivatedbya
desiretobeacceptedbyhismotherandestablishalessguardedrelationshipwithherhis

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previousrebukesofherandsubsequentrevelationofhismad[ness]incraft(3.4.2592)seem
toindicatethatHamlettoldhissecrettomendhisrelationshipwithhismotherandredeemeach
otherintheotherseyes.Theverywordingofthatconfessionseemstocorroboratethisideain
thathesuggeststhatsomethinghasbuiltupbetweenthem.Whenjuxtaposed,thewordscraft
andravelindicatethatacomplexnetoflieshasbuiltupbetweenmotherandson,which
Hamletseekstoravelorsimplifybyrevealinghiscraftandthusloweringacrucialdefense
mechanism.AccordingtoKarenHorneyspatternsofneuroticneeds,theneedforaffectionand
approvalisoftenawaytoaffirmasenseofidentityandboostselfesteem;thus,bytellinghis
motherthathesnot,infact,madcouldbeHamletswayofgainingherapprovalandthus
boostinghisownsenseofselfatapointwheneveryonethinkshesMadastheseaandwind
whenbothcontend(4.1.2633).However,anotherequallyplausiblereasonforHamlets
seeminglyunnecessaryrevelationisthathewasmerelyvoicingonehalfofaninternalconflict
perhapshewasconvincinghimselfthathewasnotmad.ThelinesIessentiallyamnotin
madness,/But[am]madincraft(3.4.25912592)hintatadualityinHamletssenseofself,
wheretheword[b]uthighlightstheprobabilityofastronginternalconflictwhichiscentered
aroundHamletssanity.ThisinternalconflictthatmayhaveledtoHamletsconfessioncouldbe
explainedbycognitivedissonancethetheorythatweacttoreducethediscomfort
(dissonance)wefeelwhentwoofourthoughts(cognitions)areinconsistent(Meyers728).Its
reasonabletobelievethatHamletthoughthewasperfectlysaneuntilhemurderedPolonius
withoutanypersuasion.Atthatpointhewouldhavegoneagainsthisownbeliefabouthissanity
andaccordingtothecognitivedissonancetheory,hedneedtochangehisinitialattitudeto
reducethedissonancewhichhedoeswhenheassertsthathesnotinmadnessbutismadin

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craft(3.4.25912592),wherethetwoclausesserveasfurtherevidencefortheexistenceoftwo
sidesofastruggle.Thus,therearetwoexplanationsforHamletsinitial,unpromptedrevelation
ofhissecrettohismotherbothofwhichareplausibleexplanationsforalmostanyrevelation.
However,thereareinstanceswhensecretsarenotsharedandareinsteadburiedinside
oneselflikeClaudiusssecretmurder.Claudiussreason(s)fornottellinghissecretseems
muchmoreobviousthanHamletsreasonsfortellinghissecretandtoanextentthatassumption
istrue.Claudiuscouldnotanddidnottellhissecretforhonorssaketellinghissecretwould
havecostClaudiushiscrown,lifeandpossiblyhiswife,whichhehimselfadmitswhenhesays
Iamstillpossess'd/OfthoseeffectsforwhichIdidthemurther/Mycrown,mineown
ambition,andmyqueen./Mayonebepardon'dandretainth'offence?(3.3.23352338).The
factthatClaudiusisabletosoopenlystatethereasonsbehindhisinabilitytosharehissecret
furthersupportstheideathatthosereasonsthemselvesaresimpleandstraightforward.Thus
rationalebehindtellingsecretsisoftenmuchmorecomplicatedthantherationalebehindnot
tellingthem.
Themostintriguingpartaboutthecycleofasecret,however,iswhathappensafterthe
secretistold.Theexecutionofasecretcanbesplitintotwopartsagreeingtokeepthesecret
andultimatelykeepingit.Again,therearenumeroustheoriesthatseektoexplainthe
compulsionsthatdrivethesetwophasesandGertrudesactionsduringandafterActIIIScene4
provideamplegroundtoexploresomeofthesetheories.OnceHamlettellsGertrudehissecret,
shewastesnotimeinimmediatelysayingBethouassur'd,ifwordsbemadeofbreath,/And
breathoflife,Ihavenolifetobreathe/Whatthouhastsaidtome(3.4.26012603).Though
thefactthatGertrudesopromptlyagreedtokeepHamletssecretisnoteworthy,evenmore
interestingisthewayshephrasedherresponse.Throughamathesquesetofphrases,she

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equatesherwordstoherlifewithouttheprecedingtwoclausesthefinalclauseIhavenolife
tobreathe(3.4.2602)indicatesastruggletoliveorachieveindependenceandwiththetwo
clauses,thefinalclauseliterallymeansthatshehasnowordstotell,i.e.shellkeephissecret.
Whenthetwointerpretationsofthatfinalclausecometogether,itcreatesaninteresting
juxtapositionofideasstiflingoppressionandindependencewhichareattheheartofa
plausiblereasonforwhyGertrudeagreedtokeepHamletssecrettheSelfCompletionTheory.
AccordingtotheSelfCompletionTheory,peoplewhoarecommittedtoparticularidentitygoals
oftenpursueactivitiesinordertoprovetothemselvesthattheyarealignedwiththatidentity.In
thiscase,Gertrudewas,afteranarduousandhumiliatingchidingfromherson,mostdefinitely
desperatetoconfirmheridentityasalovingmotherinanywaypossible.Asvariousstudieson
theSelfCompletionTheoryhaveshown,sayingwelldosomethingoftenachievesthesame
effectinconfirminganidentityasdoingitdoes.BysayingthatllkeepHamletssecret,Gertrude
isabletolookpastblackandgrainedspots/Aswillnotleavetheirtinct(3.4.24832484)and
insteadsee[a]queen,fair,sober,wise(3.4.2593).Thus,accordingtotheSelfCompletion
Theory,GertrudemayhaveagreedtokeepHamletssecretbecauseofherowndesiretobe(or
looklike)agoodmotherandqueen.AnotherpossiblereasonwhyGertrudeagreedtokeep
Hamletssecretcouldsimplybethatshesawitasagoodbondingopportunityachanceto
redeemherselfinhersonseyesandreestablishherpositioninhisheart.Thisideaisvery
similartooneusedtoexplainHamletsunpromptedrevelationofhissecretaneedforapproval
andaffectionthuspointingatanessentialsimilaritybetweenmotherandsonbothoftheir
actionsarefrequentlyfueledbyadesiretobeacceptedandregardedpositively.Gertrudes

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immediatecompliancetokeepHamletssecretcanthusbeexplainedinacoupledifferentways,
allofwhichpointatoverarchingreasonswhypeopleagreetokeepsecrets.
However,merelyagreeingtokeepasecretdoesnotensurethatthesecretwillbekept
often,thereisagapbetweenspeechandactionwhichisparticularlyimportantwhenexamining
theintricaciesofasecret.InActIIIScene4,GertrudemakesapromisetoHamletthatshedoes
indeedkeep.WhenaskedbyClaudius,shesaysthatHamletisMadastheseaandwindwhen
bothcontend/Whichisthemightier(4.1.26332634)andindoingsofulfillsthepromiseshe
madetoHamlet.ThesimplestexplanationforthisfollowstheSelfCompletionTheory,which
couldaccountforwhyGertrudeagreedtokeepthesecretandwhysheultimatelykeptit
perhapsmerelysayingthatshedkeepHamletssecretwasntenoughtosustainherimageof
herselfasagoodmother.Thisreasoningissomewhatsupportedbythewayinwhichshetells
ClaudiusthatHamletismad.Shereferstotheseaandwind[which]contend(4.1.2633),
hintingatsomeinternalstrugglethatcouldeasilybeherselfstrugglingtobeagoodmother,
queenandwife.BykeepingHamlet,sheproves[w]hichismightier(4.1.2634)herlovefor
herson.Alongthesamelineofreasoningistheideaofaltruism,accordingtowhichGertrude
mayhavekeptHamletssecretinanactofselflessnesstoprotectHamletswellbeing.Either
way,GertrudesupholdingofHamletssecretpointsatanintegrityofcharacter,whilethe
reasonsbehindheractionpointattruthsunderlyingthepreservationofanysecret.
Afterexaminingthewholelifecycleofasecret,anessentialquestionremainsWhy
keepsecretsatall?KingClaudiusembodiesthesimplestanswer(s)tothisquestionhonor,
societalnormsandfearforoneslife.IfClaudiushadnotprotectedhissecretsowellhe
wouldvebeenkilled,ordethronedandshunnedintheveryleast.AshehimselfsaidIamstill
possess'd/OfthoseeffectsforwhichIdidthemurther/Mycrown,mineownambition,andmy

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queen./Mayonebepardon'dandretainth'offence?(3.3.23352338).UltimatelyClaudius
kepthissecretsothathecouldcontinuetoreapthebenefitsofhissecretandstayalive,oneof
whichtypicallyexplainmostsecretsencountereddailyoffstage.Hamletssecret,ontheother
hand,exploresthemurkiersideofasecretonethatinvolvesinternalconflictandstrugglewith
oneselfandonesidentity.Hamletssecretarosefromanuntimelymixofaninnerconflictto
killhisuncleandavengehisfatherorretainhishumanityandsanityandhissurroundingshis
mothersincestuousmarriage,hisfathersghost,etc.Ultimately,bothofthesesecrets,whichlay
attheheartofHamlet,aretheresultofaclashbetweenoneselfandonessurroundingandthus
provideameaningfulexplanationfortheexistenceandimportanceofsecrets.
ThesecretsinHamletHamletssecretthatisrevealedinActIIIScene4,inparticular
revealseveralcharacteristicsofsecrets,whichoftenhaveahugeinfluenceonhuman
interactions.ThesecretsinHamletrevealagreatdealabouttheplayscharactersandin
analyzingthosesecretswediscoverhowmuchthesecretsthatgovernourinteractionsreveal
aboutus.Indeed,itsthesecretswekeepthatsaythemost.

WorksCited
Myers,DavidG."SocialPsychology."Psychology.NewYork,NY:Worth,2007.72830.Print.
Diyanni,Robert.Literature:ReadingFiction,PoetryandDrama.NewYork:McGrawHill,
1990.Print.
AmericanPsychologicalAssociation.AmericanPsychologicalAssociation,2015.Web.22
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PsychologyToday.NationalBoardforCertifiedCounselors,2015.Web.22March2015.