Shakespeare

ENTJ in the Grip

Arvid Walton

Can you explain what you meant when you said Falstaff is an ENTJ “in the grip?”

A little more on that grip-idea –as it relates specifically to ENTJs.

When an ENTJ stops utilizing his upper functions (Te-Ni) to their full capacity, he is prone to a rather unique problem. He tends to get stuck in his lower functions, which isn’t necessarily a good thing, because rather than being a doer, who plans and visualizes what he wants his life to be, be becomes something else entirely.

He turns lazy, and laziness never made and ENTJ happy Continue reading →

Henry IV: ISTJ

Arvid Walton

Henry IV / Richard II, William Shakespeare

Henry IV ISTJ |The Hollow Crown MBTI

Dominant Si: Throughout each of the plays, his principle priority is is on noticing and devising means for creating order and maintaining healthy traditions within the state He sees Richard’s rule as a hindrance to England’s situation and reputation and acts to remove him. This is also what puts such tremendous stress on him as an older man, because he cannot get past his son Harry’s disregard for tradition and law. He understands that if Hal continues to live wildly, England will have no heir to the throne, and his line will not Continue reading →

John Falstaff: ENTJ

Arvid Walton

Henry IV / Henry V, William Shakespeare

John Falstaff ENTJ | The Hollow Crown MBTI

Dominant Te: John Falstaff is a doer. He devises strategies to get what he wants and then actively seeks to make those plans a reality. He befriends Prince Hal in hopes of gaining prestige and status (that’s my take on him, although some would argue otherwise) and does everything he can to impress him, pretending to fight off a horde of enemies, and even going so far as to claim that he killed Hotspur. When his plans don’t work out, he takes a fatal blow –for instance, when Harry is crowned King and Continue reading →

Hamlet: INTJ

Arvid Walton 3 Comments

Hamlet, William Shakespeare

Hamlet INTJ mBTI

Dominant Ni: Hamlet places high value on the big picture. When he sees Claudius praying, his first thought is to kill him, but he quickly decides not to because he believes that killing a praying man will erase the sins that Claudius has committed against him. Instead, he opts to wait until Claudius is once again deep in his sins before killing him because he believes this will ensure Claudius’s damnation. Likewise, Hamlet decides not to kill himself because he doesn’t yet have all of the variables laid out plainly (he doesn’t know what will happen to him after death), so he can’t settle on a decision. Hamlet doesn’t easily settle on one plan, but comes up with never-ending possibilities for what he might do. In general, he is quite indecisive, as he changes his mind frequently and often never settling on definitive answers to his questions. He is quick to recognize Continue reading →

Cauis Marcius Coriolanus: INTJ

Arvid Walton 6 Comments

 Coriolanus, William Shakespeare

Coriolanus INTJ MBTI Shakespeare

Introverted Intuition (Ni): Caius Marcius has a strong sense of how events will unfold, such that he feels little fear in fraternizing with his enemies (because he is aware that he will die either way). He also has a very specific vision of what he wants to do with his time, in addition to detailed goals for governmental “improvement” (taking away the people’s votes). When these plans are interrupted by the Roman government, he reacts with anger and defiance. (“I had rather be their servant in my way than sway with them in theirs.”). He has a natural talent for Continue reading →