Essay On Disrespect In Hamlet

In William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, the main character has just recently lost his father and suspects, after a visitation from his father’s ghost, that he was murdered. In Act 3 of the play, also known as the climax, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is pent up with anger regarding the suspicious nature of his father’s passing. As an outlet to release his anger he is not respectful to the women whom he interacts with. Two main characters receive of this disrespect and they are Ophelia and Queen Gertrude. They alone bear the brunt of Hamlet’s anger by receiving derogatory comments and snarky remarks. One example of this is when Hamlet is talking to Ophelia before the plays begins. He says, “Lady, shall I lie in your lap?” (III.ii.119). The double

Hamlet however, continues his rude remarks by say what lies between maids laps is “nothing” (III.ii.128). In this case the word nothing does not mean what is usually does and instead has a double meaning for a vagina. With his vulgar language and his profane comments Hamlet takes out his anger on someone with less power than he has, praying in the weak in order to make himself feel better. Another character who weathers Hamlet’s coarse commentary is his mother, Gertrude, whom he disrespects the most using her as a punching bag in order to vent out his own anger. After the play has taken place and the king leaves in the middle of it, clearly troubled by Hamlet’s scene resembling his father’s death, Gertrude calls her son to come to her bedchamber. There, Hamlet says to his mother in response to her questioning him, “Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue” (III.iiii.15). Gertrude is the only character in the play to call Hamlet out on his nasty remarks because she is one of the only characters who Hamlet’s has a personal relationship with. Even his schoolboy friends whom he has known for years he