In the play, Hamlet, by Shakespeare, the theme of gender inequality plays along with the characters’ roles. Each character plays the amount of power each gender stereotypically has. Ophelia is portrayed as the weak daughter of Polonius with little to no say in decisions, is easily disrespected and influenced. Hamlet and Claudius are characterized as the men with the most power, very well respected, taken more into consideration (disregarding their class status), and are very opinionated about all women being the same [Hamlet] and put themselves first no matter what. Gertrude is comparable to Claudius’ shadow, her opinions are taken into consideration, but not as much as the king’s, has almost no involvement over important decisions other than …show more content…
King Claudius shows little respect for Gertrude in the play and tries to represent her as a materialistic character and puts her last before himself. “My fault is past. But O, what form of prayer can serve my turn? Forgive me my foul murder? That cannot be, since I am still possess'd of those effects for which I did the murder, my crown, mine own ambition, and my queen” (3.4.52-55). Claudius is saying all his sins, including the murder of his brother, Hamlet, but the last part of the quote is, “my crown, my own ambition, and my queen.” He puts his royalty and his ambition before Gertrude thinking that she’s always going to be there for him no matter what because she isn’t aware of what he’s done in the past. “Frailty thy name is woman!” (1.2.146). Hamlet supposedly has the stance to say this about women because only one, his mother, has given up so quickly and moved onto Claudius without a second thought. Hamlet considers every women to be weak, Ophelia. He treats women as if they don’t know what they’re doing and violently tries to get them to understand his logic as if they’re stupid. Most men in the play have the mentality that women don’t have the capacity of what they have, even if it’s on a subject they’re completely guessing on and don’t know all the details to. For example, back to when Polonius and Ophelia had a huge discussion about her and Hamlet, he said, “...Set your entreatment at a higher rate than a command to parley. For Lord Hamlet, believe so much in him, that he is young and with a larger tether amy he walk than may be given you: in few, Ophelia, do not believe his brows; for they are brokers, not of that dye which their investments show, but mere implorators of unholy suits, breathing like sanctified and pious bawds...I would not
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.
Hamlet takes control of the conversation from the very beginning of the scene although it is Gertrude who was meant to be rebuking him and doing much of the talking. Hamlet succeeds in shaming her until the point when she begs him to stop. Hamlet having the upper hand in the conversation, asks his mother to change her ways, which she agrees to and asks for his advice, showing that she has submitted herself to her son. Hamlet does not really show much respect for his mother while reproving her and forcing her to sit down but he does love her. Some critics believe that his love shows sexual connotation and that is a reason why he gets so upset at her remarriage. There is a point in this scene when Gertrude thinks her life is in danger of Hamlet and gets frightened, which shows us that she considers him to be mad and harmful. After this scene she becomes aware that Hamlet isn't mad and starts trusting him as opposed to Claudius. This is exactly how Shakespeare has presented women throughout the play: they are easy to convince, very meek and become submissive to the men (as we can see Ophelia and her response to her father and brother). They are depicted as weak and inferior in comparison to the male figures, who control their lives. After the closet scene Gertrude keeps faith to her son and lies to her husband Claudius for Hamlet saying he killed Polonius in his madness:
We first realize in Act I, Scene 2 that poor judgment is her major character flaw. As the mother of a grieving son, Gertrude should have been more sensitive to Hamlet's feelings. Instead, less than two months after King Hamlet's death, Gertrude remarries Claudius, her dead husband's own brother. Gertrude should have realized how humiliated Hamlet would feel as a result, because at that time it was considered incestuous for a widow to marry her husband's brother. There is also jealousy on the part of a son, who feels that his mother should be giving him more attention during the mourning period. Gertrude is not in touch with her own son's feelings to see why he is angry. Hamlet expresses this outrage during his first soliloquy:
Equality is a given.” In the society of William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, inequality is portrayed when the women of their society have a lower social status than men by exploiting their imperfections. As a result of their perceived tragic flaws, the women of Shakespeare’s time are considered inferior to the males of their society. These tragic flaws that these females possess are that they are unfaithful, are easily manipulated and are dependent on men.
In the play, Ophelia and Gertrude 's actions and decisions are influenced by the men in the play. The women depend to a great extent on the men that surround them and are extremely weak, when it comes to them having authority and control over things. Ophelia is powerless, when it comes to the men in her life, she allows them to make decisions for her. When she is told to do something she immediately obeys. With such a desire, Ophelia always feels the need to please others, even when it goes against her moral feelings. For example, when Polonius tells Ophelia, “[f]rom this time, daughter, [b]e somewhat scanter of your maiden presense/[l]ook to’t, I charge you”(1.3.120-135), without hesitation, she says, “ I shall obey, my lord”(Shakespeare 1.3.136) . This shows her lack of power when it comes to men and that she has no rights. In relation, Gertrude is a strong woman, who makes decisions on her own, but she constantly relies on the men around her and is also very passive. Gertrude’s passive personality is seen, when Claudius
In society, men and women are encouraged to take on different roles best suited for their own abilities and interests due to such a patriarchal social structure. Therefore, some women feel that they need to advocate for the same rights as men, in which Hamlet is no exception. In Hamlet, Gertrude and Ophelia have small roles throughout the play, which are strictly male-dominated and seem to distance the interests between the men and the women throughout. Shakespeare portrays these women as minorities, victimized by the society in which they live, but soon come to terms with themselves as they slowly begin to realize their sexuality and desire for freedom.
In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Gertrude is a woman who is also a queen that harms no one but the terrible comprehension to the situation at hand greatly affect the outcome of events. Out of the two female characters in Hamlet, Gertrude and Ophelia, are not self-confident. The actions of Gertrude will indefinitely lead up to the demise of her and some other characters in the play.
Portrayal of Women in Shakespeare's 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.
William Shakespeare incorporates many themes and ideas into his play, Hamlet. Of the multiple important ideas, one potentially overlooked is the role of women. Only two of the characters in the play are female. Their lines are scarce, but hold huge importance in relation to the progression and plot of the play. Ophelia, the implied lover of Prince Hamlet, and Queen Gertrude, his mother, do not appear significant, but their actions and characters allow for other events to unfold. Gertrude and Ophelia are manipulated and belittled. In their weak will, they end up betraying Hamlet. Observing their manipulation by other people, Hamlet is able to justify and go through with his actions.
For many years in the past women played a small role socially, economically, and politically. As a result of this many works in literature were reflective of this diminutive role of women. In Elizabethan theatres small boys dressed and played the roles of women. In contrast to this trend, in Shakespeare's Hamlet the women in the play are driving factors for the actions of many other characters. Both Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, and Ophelia, Hamlet's love, affected many of the decisions and actions done by Hamlet.
...split that Queen Gertrude experiences throughout Hamlet reveals that there is a bigger picture than what Shakespeare has created in the confounds of this play. When people view Hamlet as a whole through the feminist lens it is apparent that females are extremely submissive and lack awareness of their situation. Gertrude longs for acceptance and a regained role in her royal court but is easily dismissed by Claudius due to the fact that he views her as unnecessary and thinks that political and royal matters should be handled by someone more stable than her. In the cases of Hamlet as well as occasionally Claudius, Gertrude acts very submissive and fits the definition of a frail woman very accurately. She does not defend herself and grants away her authority because, like a child, she is only interested in external pleasures and the positive approval of others.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet takes place in Elsinore, a city in Denmark, during the middle ages, a time populated and controlled by men. In the beginning of the play, two women, Gertrude and Ophelia, appear to be weak, insignificant characters in the play but as time passes their roles and involvement with the main plots is amplified. In the beginning of the play Gertrude has a lot to gain from the actions of others, Ophelia mirrors Hamlet in his decline into insanity due to their struggle with internal conflicts. Throughout the play the frailty of women is a common topic. Even Hamlet himself said, “Frailty, thy name is woman” (Act 1, Scene 2).Thought as the play goes on the audience finds that the women are stronger and of more importance than they appear to be.
Most of the worlds cultures follow a patriarchal society and this dates back to the beginning of time. In Hamlet the patriarchal society is clearly depicted by the characters throughout the play. Hamlet is portrayed as an indecisive character when it comes to making a serious decision, for example when he contemplates on killing Claudius. This shows the masculinity and femininity aspect of his character, which offends the ideals in a patriarchal society. Claudius, Polonius, Laertes, Ophelia and Gertrude follow the usual gender roles in a patriarchal society, as for Hamlet, his characteristics come from both gender roles.
Ophelia is only one of two female characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and when viewed by a modern audience she is seen as timid, meek, innocent, and submissive to the males that surround her. To an audience at the time of the play she would have been seen in a different light, as those traits would have made her an ideal woman. In trying to understand Ophelia’s character one can simply browse the pages of the play and study the few scenes of dialogue she has and examine her language, or lack of it. Taking into consideration the person(s) she is responding to, the context of the dialogue, and her specific word choice all plays a key part in an analysis of her voice.
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.