How Does Ophelia Present Misogyny In Hamlet

Misogyny holds the title of the oldest prejudice, and its adverse force blemishes countless pieces of literature. Misogyny and the prejudice against femininity presents itself as an issue during the renowned tale of Hamlet. The potential wife of Hamlet, Ophelia, is subject to struggles from her gender throughout the play. Consequently, Ophelia rests wholly at the mercy of male figures due to the potent grip of the patriarchy, and whittling her features down to a stereotype exposes her character to diminution.

To begin, the patriarchy is set up in order to place males as dominant figures. The state of Denmark is a patriarchal government in which kings make the authoritative decisions: Women ornamentally sit on the sidelines. The drive to assert dominance over women harms Ophelia as the plot

plays out. Though Ophelia belongs to a powerful family, she never possesses the ability to make her own decisions. The maiden’s love life, the most intimate of relations, is not entirely lead by her. Rather, Polonius tells her what to do: “I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth, have you so slander any moment leisure, as to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet. Look to ‘t, I charge you” (I.iii.132-135). Her father declares what actions she should take regarding Hamlet, and he expects her to follow his words. Little room exists for Ophelia’s free will. The idea that a male’s opinion and advice merits superiority over that of a woman’s highlights the authoritative power of the patriarchy that holds Ophelia’s life captive. When Ophelia states that she is unsure of what to do, Polonius replies, “Think yourself a baby that you have ta’en these tenders for true pay, which are not sterling” (I.iii.105-107). Polonius names Ophelia as a foolish baby for believing in Hamlet’s words. Her state of mind is receives degratation for simply not thinking the way her father wants. Ophelia’s relationship with her father displays how dominant males are in the sixteenth century. She is not able to build her singularity. However, a lack of personal power is not the only prejudice that Ophelia faces.
In addition to Ophelia’s inability to control her own life due to surrounding men, Ophelia also faces grating stereotypes. A stereotypical woman is emotionally accommodating, domestic, graceful, and well-groomed. Hamlet’s disgust with his mother’s marriage contaminates his relationships with all women. The prince himself suggests that a woman’s apparent feminine frailty is a weakness: “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (I.ii.146). The young prince negatively ties frailty with womanhood. Ophelia’s own potential husband carries assumptions about women, which means that Hamlet is willing to place the same set of labels on every woman, regardless of their character. Stereotypes categorize individuals into groups that summarize their traits, but they are not always accurate. Hamlet then exclaims, “If thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go, and quickly too” (III.i.139-141). He advises Ophelia to marry a foolish man, because he assumes she will surely cheat on him. This assumption stems from Hamlet believing that all women are adulterers. Clearly, not all women cheat on their spouses, but Hamlet categorizes all women the same. Hamlet disregards the traits of the individual women in his life, and he deems it easier to associate them all with frailty and adultery. Ophelia finds herself in a relationship with a man who does not care for Ophelia’s true character. For this reason, the confines of stereotyping victimizes Ophelia. The prejudice against women does not stop at stereotyping. She faces struggle in other ways that only a woman could understand.
Lastly, the young maiden of Shakespeare’s Hamlet faces the strong forces of misogyny in addition to stereotyping.

Blatant disrespect encompasses Ophelia simply because of her gender. Hamlet’s inapt, sexual comments during the third act display Ophelia’s treatment: “That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs” (III.ii.108). The comment displays that Hamlet sees women as sexual beings, and he has little consideration for how rude the comment truly is. He demeans Ophelia to a young woman who holds sexuality. Along Hamlet’s journey to convince others of his insanity, he uses Ophelia as a chess piece. Ophelia encounters Hamlet acting oddly in the rising action: “At last, a little shaking of mine arm and thrice his head thus waving up and down, he raised a sigh so piteous and profound” (II.i.92-94). Due to his antic disposition, Hamlet enters Ophelia’s room and pretends to be delirious. The prince’s confusing behavior scares Ophelia, and the behavior wounds Ophelia’s mental state. The damage to Ophelia does not matter to Hamlet, because he believes his behavior to be an integral part of his scheme. Disrespect is undeniably present in Hamlet’s treatment of his potential

spouse.
Considering all factors, Ophelia undoubtedly lies victim to the patriarchy and the prejudice that develops from the biased system. Though she ultimately meets her fate because of her own doing, there are many unjust struggles that lead her to the unfortunate event. Expectations to follow orders surround Ophelia, and her gender overlooks her individuality. Hamlet’s story receives praise for tackling timeless ideas such as the wonder of mortality and the inescapable fact that everyone sins. However, Hamlet also exhibits the prejudice against women that still exists today through the famed noblewoman, Ophelia.