Femininity In Hamlet

From nearly the beginning of time, man has been the center of history and the ideal of man has been the basis of nearly every modern thought, practice, and institution. In every moment that man has existed, an ideal man has also existed—a model for how men should act, appear, and exist. This ideal man has been the basis for what is considered good in society, and nearly all virtues are considered “manly” or masculine. Through creating this ideal man, society has also created the antithesis: woman. In the establishment of the ideal man throughout history, woman has been defined as man’s opposite, therefore making anything feminine, even feminine characteristics in men, the opposite of the virtuous male standard. This gender binary established throughout history is particularly present in William Shakespeare’s

In trying and failing to fit into this increasingly narrow role, Hamlet is perceived more and more as mad by the men around him, establishing a correlation between femininity and madness.

The definition of the ideal man is framed by several men in Hamlet, namely Fortinbras and Hamlet’s father, Hamlet Senior. Fortinbras “serve[s] as a possible monitory double for Hamlet—a son whose father is killed and who knows how to respond” (Low 501). Fortinbras’ situation is similar to Hamlet’s in that his father was recently killed, however, as Low states, Fortinbras “knows how to respond” and takes action, establishing action as a masculine virtue. In his response to the murder of his father, Fortinbras does not hesitate to act, and does not simply ponder the idea of revenge, rather he actively seeks it almost immediately after his father has died. While many of the characters in Hamlet are wrapped up in internal conflicts, Fortinbras acts in reality and makes a real difference in the world, thus defining masculinity as the ability to take