Character Analysis of Ophelia and Gertude in Shakespeare´s Hamlet
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William Shakespeare also known as the English nationalist poet is widely considered the greatest dramatist of all time. Shakespeare spent the majority of his life writing poems that captured the “complete range of human emotion and conflict” (“Biography of William Shakespeare”). Throughout the world, people have performed William Shakespeare’s plays, poems, and sonnets for over four hundred years. Still to this day, Shakespeare’s plays have become very well known. One of William Shakespeare's most famous plays is, Hamlet. In Hamlet, the women, Ophelia and Gertrude were portrayed as property, non- controlling, inferior, and solely dependent on men throughout the play. Ophelia is an obedient daughter who is dependent on her father, Polonius…show more content… Ophelia is taught not to depend on her own decisions because she does not know any other way without Polonius’s guidance. Without even realizing it Ophelia, is powerless and has no control over her life. She is solely dependent on her father. Ophelia is also inferior and powerless when it comes to her brother, Laertes. Just like her father, Laertes has all the control over Ophelia. When Ophelia recognizes an unusual difference in Hamlet, she turns toward her brother, to ask for his outlook on Hamlet's love. He responds by saying, "For Hamlet and the trifling of his favour,/ Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,/ [...] The perfume and suppliance of a minute; No more," (1.3.6-10). His reply was more of a forceful command, rather than suggesting a response of her choice. "Simone de Beauvoir writes of agony for adolescent girls who must choose between self and “other”---between considering themselves primary or perceiving themselves as “other” in a patriarchal world where men and men’s values dominate” (Dash 128). Ophelia never had a mother figure to look up to, so she spends most of her time obeying the authoritative brother in her life. Shakespeare exaggerates this as Ophelia struggles to find herself while her brother destroys her privileges. She is a woman that is being forced to live in word that is dominated by men.
Ophelia looks for love and