Misogynistic Women In Hamlet Essay

Ophelia’s father, Polonius, wishes to keep his family’s honor in tact, and fears that Ophelia’s open regard for Hamlet will diminish his honor. Both Polonius and Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, believe that Ophelia’s preference for Hamlet will only end in disgrace for their family, as Hamlet would never marry her due to her lower social standing, therefore, they counsel her to break off any understanding with Hamlet. As a woman, Ophelia realizes her duty to her father and her brother, and therefore decides to disregard her own feelings about Hamlet and do as her father and brother wish.

Hamlet can be viewed through a feminist lens by focusing on Ophelia and Gertrude and how various other male characters treat them. Ophelia and Gertrude are dismissed as characters through the entire play because they are women. Hamlet refers to women as “frailty,” implying that they are weak and are dependent on men. Reason suggests that with out the males, Ophelia and Gertrude would simply have no story.

The Role of Women in Hamlet in William Shakespeare's Play Gertrude and Ophelia, the only two women in Hamlet, reflect the general status of women in Elizabethan Times. Women were suppressed by the males in their lives (brothers, fathers, and partners) and were always inferior. Ophelia and Gertrude have little or no power due to restricted legal, social and economic rights that were found in Elizabethan society. The male characters in Hamlet reflect this sexist view point, represented by Hamlet’s judgement that “frailty, thy name is woman”. This view was not uncommon in Shakespeare’s time and heavily influenced Shakespeare to present women the way he does in Hamlet.

Polonius’ image and plans take precedence over his daughter’s physical and mental wellbeing. This leaves her vulnerable and in danger in regards to Hamlet. When Ophelia describes Hamlet accosting her, Polonius’ reacts by saying:

Perception of Women in William Shakespeare's Hamlet In Hamlet, Shakespeare carefully represents Getrude and Ophelia. Individually, Gertrude is essentially seen as weak and immoral whilst Ophelia is seen as meek and a victim of society. Collectively, they are seen to fulfil a conventional 16th century role, and it is as our beliefs and views of women change that we are able to perceive the characters in a different angle.

Perhaps the most common feminist struggle, even to-date, is regarding a female’s agency over her own body, and her own time. The two leading female characters in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Getrude and Ophelia, both exemplify different aspects of this struggle—Gertrude as the married widow, whose dead husband, Ole King Hamlet, seeks to claim her sexuality, and current husband, Claudius, who seeks control over her; with Ophelia as her contrast, in the role of Hamlet’s peculiar love interest. These women work to develop, within Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” the relationship of both Ophelia, as the classic objectified female, to the overarching storyline, and of Claudius and Gertrude as a defining male-female relationship that lends itself to an analysis of gender roles, denial of subjectivity, and woman’s place within the domestic sphere.

     The treatment of women in Hamlet is very troubling. The leading female characters, Queen Gertrude and Ophelia, are pawns or puppets for the men around them. Like chess pieces, they are moved about and influenced by the men they love with little say of their own; in fact, Shakespeare does not even develop their characters.

Sexism in Hamlet For centuries, gender inequality has been an issue in societies around the world. Whether it is the fourteenth century or present day, men are seen as superior beings to women. In Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, it is obvious that women constantly live in the shadow of men and are portrayed as mindless and foolish beings. For example, Gertrude is seen as a foolish character due to her sexual relationship with Hamlet's uncle and Ophelia is mindlessly willing to give up her life for a man. Shakespeare created these characters to show how women are controlled by the decisions of men.

Ophelia is in love with Hamlet. She shares herself with him and is beginning a relationship, she wants to be with hamlet and believes he loves her "My lord, he hath importuned me with his love in honorable fashion"(pg 17 line 110). Polonius instructs Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet. Polonius states that Hamlet doesn’t really love her and is only with her for one thing, and as soon as he gets enough he will want no more.

Firstly, a recurring theme for the women is the sense of being without power. In the late middle ages, men were viewed as the typical hardworking and laborious man, while women led more of a supporting role to the men. The women in Hamlet are altogether supportive of the male characters and their role in the play is to force the audience to perceive the men as potent and forceful. A primal example of this theme can be shown when Hamlet expresses his pent up anger towards his mother by angrily comparing her to “a beast that wants discourse of reason/Would have mourn'd longer,” emphasizing his disapproval of the marriage and actions of his mother extensively viewing his mother as less than himself (I.ii.152). Continuing on, Hamlet habitually attempts to degrade women, Ophelia in particular.

In today’s society, women have many rights and freedom to make their own decisions and have their own say towards their own issues and role. However, years ago it was considered normal for women to be oppressed and how no choices but obey men in their lives. The roles of women in Hamlet by Shakespeare are simply weak since they are dependent on the male models in their lives, allow them to make their decisions and they do not have strong voices within the play’s society. This is shown through the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia who are oppressed and mistreated by the males in the play.

Her father, Polonius, and her older brother, Laertes, lecture her to reject Hamlet’s temporary love so she does not ruin their family’s reputation. Ophelia concedes to these commands, and she specifically obeys Polonius, who is more powerful than Laertes as he is the father figure of their family. Polonius creates a powerless environment for Ophelia as she becomes incapable of thinking for herself and making her own decisions. Her father uses her to spy on Hamlet, suggesting that he views his daughter as a useful tool or object, rather than the human being and innocent woman that she actually is. Polonius takes advantage of his paternal power by regarding her as less than himself, and because Ophelia is a woman, he seeks to control her femininity.

“Frailty, thy name is woman” (1.2. 150)! This controversial line, followed by several more from the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, displays a common view towards women that portrays them as being weak and reliant on men. Throughout the play, two women, Ophelia and Gertrude, are shown to be dependent on the men in their lives. They both take on a senselessly obedient state of mind. Even though they share this common characteristic, Ophelia and Gertrude are very different characters. Ophelia is a beautiful, young woman who is the love interest of the protagonist, Hamlet. Ophelia obeys her father, Polonius, without hesitation and has very little experience with making her own decisions. Gertrude was the wife of Old Hamlet, and is now the wife of Claudius, the current king and Old Hamlet’s brother. Gertrude desires affection and status more than she cares about the truth of what happened to her late husband. The men in this play have no sense of how they treat the females. This patriarchal way of life was prominent in the late 16th century and early 17th century which was about the time that Hamlet was written and performed. This relationship between the genders is interconnected within the play and with society during that particular time period. The characters of Ophelia and Gertrude were solid examples of how women were viewed as inferior to men during this time in history.

Women are truly the backbones of society. They continue to bloom and flourish, helping to further grow and expand communities and the world, but are often cast to the shadows because of stereotypes placed on them dating from centuries ago. It is no secret that Shakespearean plays set basis for these stereotypes, but because of the world views on women's rights in Shakespeare's time, his female characters were allowed to break free from the confines of society. In Shakespeare's most famous play, Hamlet, the two leading ladies, Ophelia and Gertrude, break free from the standard by showcasing various acts of defiance, choosing their own paths and _______________________________. Shakespearean plays often portray women as fragile, negligible and untrustworthy people. Because of the dynamics of Hamlet, the women in the play closely fit the accepted stereotype but, prove to be the strongest characters written in this tragic tragedy by defying the restrictions placed upon them.

Ophelia plays a very important role in this play. She is one of the two only women to participate in it. She portrays the young virgin, bound to be a dutiful and loving mother. Yet, she is in love with Hamlet, and this is what creates a conflict. Her father and brother warn her about him, so she has to choose in between being true to the love of her life or obeying her father. Along the play, it becomes evident that she chose the latter, as in when she says "I shall obey, my lord" (Shakespeare 1.3.136) after her father tells her about Hamlet's intentions and that he does not love her truly as she does. She does not hesitate and agrees with her father's decision. It is important to note also that earlier her brother told her similar things, yet she did not agree instantly and mocked him for giving her advice. With her father, it is different, as she clearly agrees and promises to do as she was told. In the play, Polonius' flaw that causes Ophelia to go