The Role of Women in Hamlet in William Shakespeare's Play Essay

She hands out a multitude of different flowers to her brother Laertes, the King Claudius, Queen Gertrude and keeps two for her self. These flowers all represent different meanings, which Debra Mancoff, scholar and author of Victorian Studieshelps uncover. “Ophelia 's offered meanings - rosemary for remembrance, pansies for thought - by matching the other flowers she mentions with traditional symbols: fennel for memory, columbine for folly, rue for mortality, the daisy for her innocence, and the withered violets for her modesty now transformed to shame” (Mancoff). Based on Mancoff’s meaning for each of the flowers, it is clear what Ophelia is trying to portray. She gives her brother the rosemary and the pansies so he would remember and think of her after she drowns to death. Claudius receives the fennel and columbines. The fennel is for the king to remember his sin of killing his brother because Hamlet’s revenge near. Columbines represent folly and they were also given to Claudius because he is foolish for killing the king, marrying his widow and crowning himself king without having any repercussions. Gertrude receives the rue representing mortality, which foreshadows her own death due to drinking from the goblet containing poison meant to kill Claudius. Finally she keeps the daisy and withered violets for herself for she is an innocent, naive girl who is abashed for losing her father to the man who holds her heart.

Rhetoric scattered throughout the play is crucial to fleshing out the characters as multi-faceted people with ideals that may seem contradictory. In her first appearance in the play, Ophelia is depicted to be a symbol of purity and innocence. She is a clean slate, and the reader has no previous knowledge of her or the depth and nature of her relationship with Hamlet. Tying into this innocent depiction are her multiple allusions to flowers in the play, with the first being “the primrose path of dalliance treads,” which paints a mental landscape in the readers’ minds that associates her with flowers (1.3.54). The primary concern of Polonius and Laertes seems to be that Ophelia remains virginal and pure, and this is depicted by their constant reminders to her to stay away from Hamlet. It is this supposed innocence, however, that is undermined when examined closely. There is an

These two passages are engaging to the reader because they provide a rare glimpse into the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia.  For the most part, Hamlet is a male-centered play; it is interesting to observe the role of women within this structure.  Given the small roles assigned to Gertrude and Ophelia, it is imperative to closely examine their descriptions and words, especially in reference to the male characters.

Ophelia used flowers as a symbol of her deep sorrow and grief. Ophelia was very upset because Hamlet just killed her father, Polonius. She needed a way to express herself, and she did so by passing flowers out to the court in her seeming mad state of mind. Ophelia uses flowers in an indirect way to accuse the King and Queen of the guilt she wants them to feel. She chooses the flowers with the intent to say how she actually feels to the King and the Queen.

Throughout Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” women are used as method for men to get what they want. The men in Hamlet, either directly or indirectly continuously use women to acquire something from other men. The only two women in the entire play are Gertrude and Ophelia, who are consistently used by the current king, Claudius, Polonius, and Hamlet. Ophelia is exploited by Polonius and the King (mainly together), and is also used by Hamlet. Gertrude is used by the King, as well as Polonius. In “Hamlet,” the women throughout the play are used as pawns for men to get what they want, mainly from the other men.

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.

Her death however has both innocent and corrupt overtones. She shows the innocence of women by drowning in a creek in a pure white dress. Water and white being symbols for purity and innocence. Yet, however he death may seem pure, it manipulates the male characters, Laertes and Hamlet. The death of Ophelia causes Laertes and Hamlet to dual. This ultimately ends in the death of both men, and other characters. In life, Ophelia was manipulated by the men around her, but in death Ophelia manipulates the men still living.

In today’s world, women of all ages are given equal rights and freedom. In Shakespeare’s time, woman’s obligations were to follow the rules of the men and obey the men in their lives’. “Frailty, thy name is woman;” Hamlet implies the powerlessness of the two women characters in the play. In Hamlet, the roles of Gertrude and Ophelia are very important in that they are the only two female characters in the play. Gertrude, the Queen of Denmark and mother of Hamlet, and Ophelia, the lover of Hamlet, are characterized as controlled and lost in their lives because they are being used by the men throughout the play. Fundamentally, Shakespeare illustrates the nature of Gertrude and Ophelia as powerless victims by the women being subjects of men,

This highlights her vulnerability and subtly suggests that Claudius is more concerned about himself than his wife. Likewise, Shakespeare uses the character of Ophelia to illustrate that women of all classes of age can be considered feeble and dominated by men. The first time the audience see Ophelia is during her conversation with Laertes and her father where both the male characters disregard Ophelia's judgement. Polonius tells Ophelia that she speaks like a "green girl" whilst Laertes tells her to "fear" Hamlet's affection.

In Hamlet, the female characters can be seen as being subservient to men. This goes on to show how Shakespeare, goes against the feminist theory by not creating equality between all the characters. One of the main character’s Ophelia can be seen as being weak and undermined in the play. She spends most of her time following the actions of her father, Polonius and boyfriend, Hamlet, with little to no say in her own opinion on topics. Polonius displays his dominance over Ophelia when he expresses his opinion on her relationship with Hamlet. He informs Ophelia on exactly what her next actions need to be when dealing with Hamlet. He even goes as far as warning her to not go against his wishes because it will “ tender [him] a fool”, showing his superiority over Ophelia’s actions (I . iii. 109). The inequality can also be shown when comparing Laertes’s life with Ophelia's. Laertes is left alone to travel France, while Ophelia is stuck to follow her father's orders. Hamlet also tries to show his

Ophelia can be portrayed as having little power, which is evident in her obedience to her father in 1.3. However, Ophelia's final act is of defiance in her use of flowers to mark the bad qualities of other characters. The symbolism of the flowers is a very feminine way to express that the corruption of Denmark is disguised, much like how the pretty flowers represent something deeper. Ophelia dies a tragic death, but it is unclear whether or not it was suicide, but Shakespeare's imagery depicts her death in a frail beauty, much like the flowers earlier in the act represent qualities such as innocence are

     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.

"Her whole character is that of simple unselfish affection" (Bradley). In comparing the characters in the play Hamlet, Ophelia’s purity and delicate beauty make her comparable to a flower. Ophelia signifies the nature and righteousness of the Elizabethan Era, with her willow trees and flowers visible, and epitome of a goddess. Throughout most of the play, Shakespeare uses Ophelia to enable other characters in reaching their goals. Elizabethan society created impossible expectations for women, considered to be the weaker sex, exploited, and in need of protection. With no exception to this expectation, Ophelia is mistreated, scorned and ultimately shamed by the men in her life. Ophelia is the most innocent victim of Hamlet’s revenge in Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet”.

Shakespeare was possibly the first writer to portray women as strong, crafty, and intelligent. However, he has still received criticism from feminists about his representation of women. Some have even accused him of misogyny. There are only two female characters in the play Hamlet - Gertrude, Hamlet's mother and Ophelia, daughter of Polonius. Any debate based upon gender roles must therefore focus upon these two characters.

“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.