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Contrast the character of Gertrude and Ophelia in Hamlet
The role of ophelia and gertrude in hamlet
The role of women in Hamlet
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Gender plays as much of a role in the modern day as it did in the time that Shakespeare wrote his wonderful play, Hamlet. With the men in the society often premeditating what happens in the life of the women. In the case of Shakespeare’s Hamlet we are able to see that the true nature of gender as we have characters like Ophelia,and Gertrude. As Ophelia has her life dominated by men as they are able to cloud her judgement. Shakespeare’s use of Ophelia is only to improve the stock that men have. The men around Ophilia are portrayed as clever, smart, courageous yet, always remaining to be the one that is seen as the mad and unstable women that is pushed to become. While Gertrude is a character who is an affectionate, and caring character that tries to make the best out of the situations that she is placed in. This is nevertheless, unimportant as the misogynist thoughts that the men in the play have towards her lead her. Shakespeare’s portrayal of women in the play Hamlet is that of one to serve only the men that are in the play catering to their emotional, sexual, financial and other needs that they have never able to develop. A feminist is needed in women because without this feminist identity women will be easily manipulated by men. Ophelia role for Hamlet the man that she believes to love uses Ophelia is for …show more content…
Shakespeare is also uses women as a vessel as he is able to have a psychoanalytic criticism of Hamlet as he is able to comment of the way that his depression and sadness of his father’s death, failed loves and how all of this results in the way that he treats women. As shakespeare is able to expand on the complexity of a character like Hamlet who appears as crazy, mysognostic, and disrespectful, expanding on the motives behind why Hamlet acts the way that he
Hamlet shows much anger and disrespect to the women in his life. Ophelia’s believing her father’s words breaks Hamlets heart, being the reason for his treatment towards not just her but his mother. Ophelia
Gender criticism is a very interesting topic being debated by many, where men go to work and the woman stay home. Woman don’t have an equal roles to men especially in Shakespeare’s plays, also in Hamlet the woman were treated like objects, and being degraded. In the end Ophelia and Gertrude don’t have a voice in the play.
Do the males in Hamlet’s society feel that women are inferior to them? It certainly seems that way, but is it possible that the males behave in this manner due to their own self-loathing? Hamlet by Shakespeare is considered to one the most tragic plays ever written. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, has one of the worst mothers. She knowingly marries her husband’s murderer, Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle. In one of the most convoluted plots in literature, Hamlet is on a mission to avenge his father’s murder, punish Gertrude, and rid himself of Ophelia, whom he has driven to madness. In the end, Hamlet’s intense need for revenge is his ultimate downfall. Even though Hamlet seems to be the victim, in some ways, he is actually the villain because of the ways that he treats his mother, Gertrude, and Ophelia. The women meet their fate due to their lack of independence. After a closer examination, there is evidence to show that the women's actions, or lack thereof, are the reasons behind their demise. In particular, three factors come into play in terms of a Feminist standpoint. First, upon closer examination of the text, it becomes apparent that women lack wise decision-making in matters of love. Secondly, women's feeble minds deter them to make shrewd decisions, as they are immature and weak. Finally, a male-dominated society affects the females’ decision making ability because they are being controlled by the men around them. Therefore, an obvious focus for the audience in Shakespeare’s, Hamlet is the prince’s indecisiveness; however, what is more noteworthy is the overt suggestion in this play that females are incapable of reaching wise decisions. Clearly the patriarchal values displayed by the men in their conversations with women in Hamlet, u...
Shakespeare shows how the women characters are not strong minded, but shows how their love and deception towards the male characters leads them to their behavior. Lead to their own demises due to the flaws such as dependence they have. The male characters bossed the women around and the women did as they were told. Shakespeare used Gertrude and Ophelia to show how the men seemed to do as they wished and women were forced to follow. It provides the power that the male towards the woman. The dependence of women on men may have traditionally been a factor in their lives; however, in today's ever-changing society, women have become more and more independent to overcome circumstances such as these. Not only were the women manipulated by the male characters, but they were also controlled by their beloved ones.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the role of hierarchy is supported but also challenged. The writing in his play reflects the stereotypes of the roles of both men and women, especially because the play is written by a man. Shakespeare brings into action the undermining roles men play towards women, while giving nothing but judgement to the women characters. The play is written in a culture dominated by men, allowing the lack of women representation to be even more apparent. The dialogue and actions of the play, too, are written through the point of view of a male and not that of a female. Through the feminist theory, Shakespeare brings into question the way men treat women in dramatic English playwriting.The feminist theory, according to theorist Helene
Women play a vastly important role in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Gertrude, the Queen and Hamlets mother and Ophelia, Hamlets love interest, are the two main women in Hamlet. These women are constantly manipulated, controlled, and taken advantage of by male characters in Hamlet.
If this is looked at through the feminist lens, we can reflect on Hamlet’s misogynistic attitude through his view of his mother. He is shown through this statement to associate women with weakness and frailty. This can further be connected to how women are viewed as weaker than men in
The mindset of the unequal genders in the past is thought to have influenced the way playwright William Shakespeare portrayed females in his plays. Shakespeare exemplified this in his revenge tragedy Hamlet, written in 1601 with one of the most significant characters, Gertrude. She is central to the plot due to her relationship with the main character, Hamlet, being his mother. However, not only is she the mother to the tragic hero Hamlet, she is also widow to his late father, King Hamlet Senior, and also newly wed to Hamlets uncle, Claudius. In this tragic play, we witness not only the downfall of women of the play in general, but specifically the falling out of Gertrude as a mother to Hamlet, as a wife to the new King Claudius, and as a woman herself.
This is demonstrated through Hamlet’s relationship with the two known women in his life, Gertrude and Ophelia. The presence of only two named female characters creates a statement about the role of women within Hamlet, and their oppressive role in Elizabethan society at whole. Ophelia’s burgeoning relationship with Hamlet perpetuates the theme of patriarchy. “Get thee to a nunnery” adopts a double entendre ambiguously referencing both sexual abstinence and sexual perversity, symbolising Hamlet’s antithesis of platonic love and vacillations of ‘deprived love’, and highlights Hamlet’s misogynistic perception of women. From a feminist reading, Juliet Dustinbere states that “Ophelia had no chance to develop independent conscience of her, so stifled is she by the authority of the male world”, emphasising the dominance Hamlet has over Ophelia, thus reflecting the suppression of women in the Elizabethan era. Shakespeare conveys Hamlet’s cathartic antiphon to Gertrude’s disloyalty through the utilisation of the metaphoric sibilance “incestuous sheets”, emphasising the sexual sin that pervades human principles. He holds this assumption to all women with his scathing remark “Frailty, thy name is woman”, proving the prevalence of male hegemony. In response to Claudius, “little more than kin, and less than kind”, serves as an antithesis that highlights the “uncle-father” and “aunt-mothers’” incestuous affair, signifying their disregard for a true marital relationship. The death of both women indicates a social commentary, as Shakespeare explores the role of women in Hamlet, reflecting on the impression of women in Elizabethan times. By addressing the relationships Hamlet shares with women, Shakespeare is able to invoke theoretical revisionism due to the play’s textual integrity in regards to the subject of
Ophelia’s betrayal ends up putting Hamlet over the edge, motivating him in his quest for revenge. Ophelia is one of the two women in the play. As the daughter of Polonius, she only speaks in the company of several men, or directly to her brother or father. Since we never see her interactions with women, she suppresses her own thoughts in order to please her superiors. Yet, however weak and dependent her character is on the surface, Ophelia is a cornerstone to the play’s progression.
Another significant female character is Ophelia, Hamlet's love. Hamlet's quest for revenge interferes with his relationship with Ophelia. There is much evidence to show that Hamlet loved her a great deal, but his pretense of madness drove her to her death. Ophelia drowned not knowing what was happening to her. This can be deduced by the fact that she flowed down the river singing and happy when in truth she was heartbroken. Ophelia was very much afraid when she saw Hamlet "with his doublet all unbraced; No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd, Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle" (Act #. Scene #. Line #). She described him as being "loosed out of hell" (Act #. Scene #. Line #). In addition to that he scared her when he left the room with his eyes still fixed on her. She is especially hurt when Hamlet tells her that he no longer loves her and that he is opposed to marriage. He advises her to go to a nunnery and avoid marriage if she can.
William Shakespeare’s famed tragic, Hamlet, is a story centered around sin, suffering, and death. This popular piece is a highly controversial work of interest for critics concerned in regards to gender rights. Hamlet is a play, written from a male-centered viewpoint, and that which primarily stresses the male characters and their experiences as a replacement instead of assimilating the views and impacts of the women as well. Gender inequality is a dominant theme in Hamlet, in which women are considered and labeled as feeble and submissive because control and manipulation use them, by male dominance.
Women in Shakespeare’s Hamlet Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. In this essay I will look at Hamlets perception of women in general, but particularly Gertrude and Ophelia. I will also look at the historical presentation of women, comparing Hamlets time to today and seeing if the symbolic role that the female characters have is related to the period. Also I will look at Hamlets madness, whether it was real or not and also whether women could be the cause of it. Finally, I will look at a possible ‘Oedipus complex’ in Hamlet.
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.
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.