When we think of William Shakespeare, "Romeo and Juliet" is the first thing that comes to mind. However, he has several completely unique works that carry quite profound phrases in a simple way. For example: "there are more things between heaven and earth than your vain philosophy can imagine", To learn more about where this expression comes from, we invite you to read our post.

There are more things between heaven and earth: Shakespeare who was it?

Before we can better understand the reflection of this phrase, let's learn more about William Shakespeare, the creator of Hamlet, which is where this expression came from. The English poet and playwright was born in 1564 and died at the age of 52 in 1616. The creator of "Romeo and Juliet" and "Othello" is one of the most important English literary figures of all time.

Shakespeare's works comprise:

• 2 long poems;
• 37 plays;
• 154 sonnets.

Hamlet synopsis

The tragedy "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark", or just better known as "Hamlet", was written between 1599 and 1601. This play tells the story of Prince Hamlet, who tries to avenge the death of his father, who was executed by his uncle, Claudius.

The work is quite philosophical, as it features Hamlet's famous monologues. In addition, it calls into question issues such as the human condition and the values of the Renaissance. To this end, the work features the following main characters:

• Hamlet: Prince of Denmark and son of the now dead King Hamlet;
• Claudius: the current King of Denmark, elected to the throne after the death of his brother;
• Gertrude: Hamlet's mother and wife of the late King, and now married to Claudius;
• Horace: a great friend of Hamlet;
• Polonius: Prime minister and advisor to King Claudius;
• Ophelia: daughter of Polonius and is in love with Prince Hamlet;
• Ghost: Hamlet's father, who appears to talk about the cause of his death.

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When we think of "Hamlet" the most well-known phrase is "To be or not to be, that is the question". However, did you know that the expression "there are more things between heaven and earth than your vain philosophy can imagine" also comes from this play? Speaking of which, let's understand more about the meaning of this expression.

"There are more things between heaven and earth..." (Hamlet)

Even if you have never read Shakespeare, you probably know a few lines from his main plays. One of them is "there are more things between heaven and earth than your vain philosophy can imagine" It is worth noting that the Prince of Denmark represents passion, while the listener represents rationality.

So it is valid to conclude that there are many things in the world that can be explained or rationalized. However, it is important to incorporate philosophy into our actions. In fact, every day, there are many ways of making decisions based on a moral framework.

As we know, philosophy can help guide one's thoughts and actions, no matter what belief and religion one follows. Reflecting superficially on this sentence, many may think that philosophy is vain or useless. However, this is not so. This area of knowledge helps us see the world differently and change the way we interact with it.

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Another point we bring up here is the moment when Hamlet quotes "between heaven and earth." This means that there is a greatness in the universe before which man becomes small. Therefore, he takes this knowledge as unknown and believes himself to be an unimportant individual.

However, man must not be guided by a single way of thinking, but must explore and reflect on all the possibilities that surround him.

Other interpretations of "there are more things between heaven and earth"

Looking at it in a more baseline way, Hamlet could be telling Horace that both rationality and philosophy are not important. In other words, they do not play a relevant role in daily decision making.

Another interpretation of this part of the play refers to the opposite of this previous idea. Hamlet's, or Shakespeare's, intention was to point out that Rationality and philosophy are fundamental to us. However, they alone are not able to explain everything that happens in the world.

Hamlet: its importance in psychoanalysis

The entire work of Hamlet has a psychoanalytical analysis that allows us to go even deeper. After all, Shakespearean literature, as well as others, serve as "ammunition" to defend their base concepts.

Hamlet serves as an anchor for one of the most important concepts in psychoanalysis: the Oedipus complex. Although Freud was inspired by the tragedy of Oedipus the King, a legend from Greek mythology, he brings a relation from Shakespeare's work.

In "The Interpretation of Dreams", Freud uses the King Oedipus to explain about the universality of loving and hostile desires that the child has towards his parents.

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In fact, he points out that both this Greek mythological narrative and Hamlet have their roots in the parricidal and incestuous impulse. Therefore, in Shakespeare's work, this fantasy remains repressed and its existence only becomes noticeable after its inhibiting consequences.

Learn more... (warning: small spoiler about Shakespeare's work)

Finally, Freud tries to take a critical look at the work.

For him, Hamlet hesitates only in the task of taking revenge on the man who killed his father, took his throne, and stood by his mother. This is something quite different from other interpretations of "Hamlet" that many scholars have developed.

This hesitation occurs in the subconscious, as Hamlet understands that this man (his uncle Claudius) has fulfilled his repressed childhood desires.

Final thoughts: there is more between heaven and earth

We hope you have a better understanding of the expression there is more between heaven and earth than your vain philosophy can imagine By the way, we hope that our post has awakened in you the interest in deepening your interest in the human psyche, so we have an invitation for you! Check out our online course on Clinical Psychoanalysis.

With our lessons, you can learn more about this rich area of human knowledge. In addition, our course prepares you to enter the job market as a psychoanalyst or to add acquired knowledge to your current occupation.

So, enroll now in our online course on Clinical Psychoanalysis and come to understand that, in fact, there is more between heaven and earth than your vain philosophy can imagine In fact, today you can start a new change in your life by deepening your self-knowledge.