Unfair Treatment Of Women In Hamlet

Throughout history, there is not one group that has more stringent cultural norms than women. In the Elizabethan Era, women were subservient to men in almost all aspects of life, both public and domestic.In the eyes of a man, a woman was a piece of property to be owned; a tangible piece of property that one had rights to. Such is the case with Ophelia in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Hamlet forces social constraints of typical womanhood onto Ophelia, which in turn exacerbates her madness. Due to this pervasive sexism, Ophelia and Hamlet’s death’s are views in sexist lights that make readers view Hamlet’s death one that was heroic, and Ophelia’s one of a damsel in distress.

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.

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,

As a child born and raised in the age of tolerance I found myself confused by the blatant sexism so heavily featured in Hamlet. The modern woman being depicted as strong and self-sufficient I wondered how women could have been depicted as weak and submissive. Once my confusion cleared I realized that the depiction of women in Hamlet was one sided, controlled by the misogynistic males dominating the narrative. Gertrude and Ophelia, the only women featured in the play are only characterized by the male influence in their lives and lack full characterization. They are depicted as weak and considered supporting characters in a narrative that requires their involvement.

In William Shakespeare play, the chief protagonist hamlet shows a negativity view towards women in his life. Hamlet consider that his mother and Ophelia have deceived him through their action; Gertrude married only a mother after hamlet father died and Ophelia heeds her father right not to see hamlet despite confessing her love to him. In this way hamlet views this two women as a fragile and too dependent on the man in his lives which makes him say “fragily, thy name is woman (page 271). In a soliloquy in the second scene of Act I, deploring his mother’s indecent marriage, Hamlet says “Frailty, thy name is women!” Most critics have interpreted this statement as are mark toward all the women in general referring for their moral weakness and distrustfulness advocating the fact of Hamlet’s being a misogynist. But it is also not inappropriate to say that, Hamlet, in this statement, does not mean “frailty” for moral weakness or distrustfulness. By “frailty” he can also mean the flaw of being dependence upon men in women. Gertrude is a woman who values status and affection more urgently than moral righteousness and respect. She is extremely dependent upon men in her life. That is why after king Hamlet’s death, when she finds her position insignificant; she quickly gets married to Claudius only to restore her earlier status which she values more

     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.

In Shakespeare’s era, women played a minimal role in society, both socially and politically. As a result, many works of literature reflected women’s inferior social position. Contrary to this trend, Shakespeare grants a significant role to the women in Hamlet as their purpose is to unmask the destructive consequences of the male characters. Ultimately, the downfall of the women can be attributed to the male characters’ misogyny. Shakespeare constructs Gertrude to be a woman completely dependent on men.

In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, there are many instances where Shakespeare’s ideas go against those of the feminist lens. This is mainly due to the time period Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. According to the feminist theory, Hamlet’s theme

The play Hamlet explores gender roles throughout it’s acts. The female characters Ophelia and Gertrude emphasize the way women were treated at the time in Elizabethan England. Through the actions other characters you can see how Hamlet reflects the oppression that other women faced during their time.

The Treatment of Women in Hamlet When one thinks of female characters in William Shakespeare’s plays, many cunning and independent women, such as Portia or Lady Macbeth, come to mind. However, Hamlet deviates from this by depicting Gertrude and Ophelia as nothing more than tools to be used by the male characters to achieve their own goals. These women are consistently shown to be insignificant, easily influenced and reliant on male dominance not only by Hamlet, Polonius and Claudius, but also by themselves. From the beginning of the play to its end, it is clear that male characters value their ambitions over the safety and feelings of the women close to them.

Men had this idea that women should be obedient, subordinate and unintelligent. They were oppressed and only had little value if they were married or a nun. With men in control, it made it harder for Ophelia and Gertrude to have their own voice and mind. Hamlet is the perfect example of how women in society conform to patriarchal ideas, in their time period. This is why Ophelia and Gertrude upheld the patriarchal standards throughout Hamlet.

In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, women are portrayed as sexual beings that are weak and powerless under the influential patriarchy. Throughout the play, women are shown to follow the many rules created by a male dominated society, and are given no expressive freedom. Women, such as Gertrude and Ophelia are emphasized for their sexual desires by the dialogue of male characters. Though women play no prominent role in Hamlet, the few appearances exaggerate how weak women are perceived. Women in the play, such as Gertrude, are forced to do unlawful deeds in order to maintain a level of dignity and power, despite the consequences.

Women are a very important part of this world although they are sometimes not portrayed that way. One would think they would be seen as significant because of the fact that women make up almost half of the world’s population. Throughout all of history, females have been considered the weaker sex. In the play, Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, women are portrayed as weak minded and unfaithful. The inability to correctly make important life decisions, a weakened mental state, and complete obedience to men all contribute to this point.

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.