Shakespeare'in Macbeth, Kral Lear ve Hamlet'inde ölümsüzlük yanılsamaları

Death is an inseparable part of life and human beings are always faced with it. Yet, they cannot accept their mortality and tend to deny death by creating illusions of immortality. In this thesis, first an investigation is made about the ways this denial occurs. The relationship of human beings with death is studied by looking at theories of anthropologist Ernest Becker, psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, and sociologist-philosopher Zygmunt Bauman. Becker uses the term "denial of death" for the ways human beings call upon to try to overcome their fear of death. Lifton claims that human beings are connected biologically and historically; therefore, their existence does not end with death and they have "symbolic immortality." Bauman discusses "life strategies" which are useful for covering up the knowledge of death. Even though these three theorists use different terminology, the concepts they consider are similar. Their theories used in this study all address the ways in which human beings create illusions of immortality to cope with their mortality and according to these theories illusions of immortality are products of culture human beings live in. These theories have an existentialist-psychoanalytical outlook: existentialist because they address the issue of mortality related to human existence, psychoanalytical because the responses to the problem of mortality are created unconsciously. By applying these theories to a close reading of the opted literary texts, this thesis aims to show that such illusions of immortality can be observed in Shakespeare's Macbeth, King Lear and Hamlet, too. Although these illusions are exemplified in the behaviour of the main characters, to enhance their explanation the illusions experienced by other characters or prevalent in the societies depicted in the plays are also pointed to. As the theories cover a wide range of human behaviour, there are diverse ways of creating illusions of immortality. The immortality strategies found in each play reflect this diversity. Possible comparisons between the theories as well as their reflection in the plays will be offered in the Conclusion of the thesis. In Macbeth, the illusion of immortality provided by survival in battle and a strong social order needs to be strengthened by procreation of children that will continue one's line and the possession of the crown that symbolises kingship and longevity. Macbeth's desire to possess the throne forever although he does not have any children, and therefore murdering those whom he sees as threats to the throne leads to the collective immortality project of the Scottish people as a counter-reaction. The theme of distribution and ownership of land, power and material objects and the collective illusion of immortality substantiated by the inheritance of these by the progeny in King Lear is shown to be related to the human desire to extend existence. After undergoing a death and rebirth process, Lear sees the futility of these illusions in the face of the mortal nature of human beings. The dual universe of Hamlet that encompasses this world as well as the realm of ghosts is reflected in its hero's belief in an eternal afterlife inspired by the doctrines of Plato and Christianity as an alternative to life in this world and his desire to leave a good name behind when he dies. His wish to be remembered posthumously and to remember the dead finds expression in funerary rites. In all the three plays, the illusions are culturally created as the theories of Becker, Lifton and Bauman suggest and cannot prevent death which is inevitable.