Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy Hamlet has resonated with audiences over time, through the universal exploration of humanity. This exploration is represented through the portrayal of relationships, which reveal a person’s true nature. Hamlet holds such a relationship with Claudius and his country Elsinore. He also shares an omnipotent relationship with the concept of the afterlife, alongside women. This is explored in Zeffirelli's film adaptation ‘Hamlet’ (1990). Consequently, the exploration of these relationships are a means through which Hamlet remains enamoured to all audiences as they are able to connect with to the pertinence of the play’s values and attributes in all contexts, thus being critical to the play as a whole.
The play Hamlet
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is an iconic revenge tragedy of a fundamentally flawed hero, trapped in an existential crisis. Set in Elsinore, Denmark the story of Hamlet reflects the society of the Elizabethan era, as it creates uncertainty over the future of England. Influenced by Senecan conventions, Hamlet’s structural framework derives from Freytag’s pyramid. Shakespeare introduces a number of ambiguities in the play, for instance whether the ghost offers reliable knowledge and whether Hamlet would be morally justified in taking revenge on his uncle to create more uncertainty, and in doing so is able to take a classical revenge tragedy and make it resonate with the most fundamental themes and issues of the Renaissance. Hamlet’s ‘to be or not to be’ soliloquy outlines his contemplation over the value of life due to the death of his father and the incestuous relationship his mother shares with his uncle Claudius, inevitably leading to the killing of Claudius to avenge the ghost of his father. Hamlet is fundamentally, a play about the difficulty of living in a world of appearances. Close relationships marred by feelings of betrayal and hurt carry their consequences upon a person’s nature and perspective of others.
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
women. Claudius is an example of a quintessential Shakespearean antagonist. The relationship between Hamlet and Claudius is a fundamental representation of the paradoxical and dual nature of humanity. The pursuit and possession of absolute power is a corrupting influence, able to transform even inherently noble individuals. Positioned in the middle of the play, Hamlet’s third soliloquy questions the purpose of life and in doing so reflects on the events that transpired at the beginning of the play. This allows the audience an unobstructed view of Hamlet’s stream of consciousness to emphasise the dramatic irony that is incorporated in the scene. Hamlet’s reference to “slings and arrows” creates a relationship which is militarised between Claudius, and refers back to the Elizabethan era to the war between England and the Spanish armada. The anthropomorphism of ‘Hyperion and the Satyr” juxtaposes the superiority between celestial and terrestrial beings, making reference to his illustrious father and calculative Claudius. Claudius is the Machiavellian antagonist whose death is metonymically seen as the restoration of the status quo. He is no more Machiavellian than Hamlet though, as both ultimately believe that ‘the end justifies the means’, sacrificing humanity and humaneness in the acquisition of their goals. Due to the reign of Claudius, the state of the nation of Elsinore is deteriorating as the death of King Hamlet throws Elsinore into political turmoil. The quote “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” refers to how something evil and vile is afoot, and could be interpreted as foreshadowing of the impending deaths of most of the principle characters. But it also refers to the political unrest Denmark is feeling as a nation, which reflects back onto the state of England in the Elizabethan era. This is further reiterated when Hamlet refers to Denmark as an “unweeded garden”, with Shakespeare utilising the hysteron porteron to evoke a biological imagery of Elsinore as a corrupt microcosm of political intrigue and moral pervasion. In Zeffirelli’s film, the camera cuts to a long shot of King Hamlet’s grave during Hamlet’s monologue, giving the impression that he is speaking with his father and addressing his soul. The audience is able to acquire insight into the despising relationship Hamlet shares with his uncle and as a result is exposed to the the repercussions of King Hamlet’s death. The concept of mortality and death is evident in all times and contexts, explored extensively, but always left unanswered. Shakespeare examines mortality and the afterlife by incorporating religion throughout Hamlet, and provokes further discussion within any given audience. The weight of mortality and the complexities of life and death is introduced in the beginning of Hamlet, as the fear of the afterlife is an issue addressed in Hamlet’s third soliloquy. This soliloquy positioned in the middle of the play reveals his philosophical musings upon these fears, as his inclusive language of “us [who would] rather bear those ills we have,/ Than fly to others that we know not of,” directly involves the audience in his mental evaluation. In Zeffirelli's film adaptation the scene begins with Hamlet descending down the stairs, fading into a low angle shot to Hamlet which can be interpreted as entering into hell. The antithetical aporia “to be or not to be” shows the questioning of life, as Hamlet continually attempts to convince himself that living is not the best option. Hamlet longs for death, which is evident through the repetition of “to die, to sleep”, with the camera cutting to a long shot of dead skeletons creating a sense of irony. In addition to this, Shakespeare accentuates the Anacoenosis in “undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller returns” as a metaphor for death as no one has returned from death to retell its details. The scene cuts back to a shot of the skeletons to give the line a negative connotation coupled with dull lighting, creating an objective correlative in the scene. As the scene progresses Hamlet looks up to the light which can be seen as heaven, and is too scared to go to the “undiscovered country” because “conscience makes cowards of us all”, the very which that leads to his inaction of killing himself and his uncle. This is an integral aspect of human condition that averts Claudius’ murder. A turning point for Hamlet occurs in Act V however, in the graveyard scene where he sees Yorick’s skull. The interaction with the skull propels Hamlet’s realisation that death eliminates the differences between people, as the skull is symbolic of mortality and conveys the motif of “Contemptus Mundi” which promotes the notion of the transitory of materialistic joy where spiritual devotion ensures permanent satisfaction. Because of this, the relationship between Hamlet and the idea of mortality plays a fundamental role in the play of Hamlet. Ultimately, Hamlet continues to captivate audiences through the embodiment of various relationships in the play. Despite various appropriations and the recontextualisation of Shakespeare’s work, the fundamental concept of relationships has transcended the contextual barriers of time, place and culture to still appeal to contemporary society. To conclude, through the use of stage techniques, literary devices and stylistic forms, Hamlet remains a timeless work of art.
Hamlet has the disillusion that women are frail after his mother’s rushed remarriage as shown by “Frailty, thy name is woman!” He also believes women do not have the power to reason. (“O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason.”) Ophelia has the power to change his view but her unexplained rejection of him only adds to Hamlet’s disillusion. The ghost’s revelation that Gertrude dishonored Hamlet’s father but also their marriage by the adultery with Claudius is contemplated by Hamlet until he goes into Ophelia’s room to look upon her. As Hamlet searches Ophelia’s face for some sign that might restore his faith in her, he instead believes her face shows guilt and thinks she is another false Gertrude.
Hamlet is one of the most controversial characters from all of the Shakespeare’s play. His character is strong and complicated, but his jealousy is what conduces him to hate women. He sees them as weak, frail, and untrustworthy. He treats Ophelia, the women he loves, unfair and with cruelty. Similarly, he blames his mother for marrying her dead husband’s brother, who is now the King of Denmark. Hamlet’s treatment for women stems from his mother’s impulsive marriage to his uncle who he hates and Ophelia choosing her father’s advice over him.
One way that feminism is shown is through how the characters think that the men in the book act like women. Since the beginning of the book the author subtlety hint that the way Hamlet acts loses his respect because of the way he acts. Such as when the king states” ‘Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet, to give these mourning duties to your father.... but to persever in obstinate condolement is a course of impious stubbornness. 'Tis unmanly grief. It shows a will most incorrect to heaven, a heart unfortified, a mind impatient, an understanding simple and unschooled” (1.2.90-92; 96-101). For this reason just because he shows his emotions he gets called a girl. Meanwhile hamlet soon starts making horrible comments about how he acts.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia and Gertrude are both passive women that are considered vulnerable and spineless by the men in their lives. The two women lived their lives in the shadows of the male characters while their thoughts and opinions are oppressed by a patriarchal society. Ophelia embodies the flaw of obedience, but deeper than that, the flaw of dependence. Ophelia is completely dependent on her father, Polonius, and proves this when she agrees to stay away from Hamlet and his false feelings. Ophelia’s actions show that she will do anything to appease her father, even doing things that she doesn’t necessarily want to do. “Get thee to a nunnery!” (Act III, scene i) Hamlet mocks Ophelia using this quote and commands her to go to a covenant rather than give birth to more sinners. In this scene Hamlet goes on to mock women and society in general for buying into the whole idea of marriage and true love. Hamlet insults Ophelia's father and argues that married men are fools and marriage should not exist. Hamlet accuses Ophelia and all of womankind for being deceitful and unfaithful. Hamlet says this quote to Ophelia repeatedly during this scene, adding emphasis to the foolish idealistic nature of marriage.
An understanding of William Shakespeare’s philosophies reinforces the meaning of the human condition found in the play Hamlet. The revenge tragedy is an example in the exploration of good versus evil, deceit, madness, inter-turmoil, and utter existence. Shakespeare, fascinated by the human mind and human nature, clearly and completely illustrates the meaning of “self.” Hamlet is a drama that examines one’s personal identity. From the beginning of the story atop the castle when the guards enter the platform to the conclusion of the performance as Hamlet lies, dying in Horatio’s arms every characters’ psychological type is
“Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words, and fall a-cursing, like a very drab, A scullion!” These words, spoken by the main character Hamlet in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, highlight the role of the two females character in the play. Gertrude, mother of Hamlet and Ophelia, Hamlet’s object of love, the only two female characters in the play, help to expose the mistreatment, manipulation, and discrimination women faced within the tragedy, and possibly society during the time the play was written.
Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is a complex and ambiguous public exploration of key human experiences surrounding the aspects of revenge, betrayal and corruption. The Elizabethan play is focused centrally on the ghost’s reoccurring appearance as a symbol of death and disruption to the chain of being in the state of Denmark. The imagery of death and uncertainty has a direct impact on Hamlet’s state of mind as he struggles to search for the truth on his quest for revenge as he switches between his two incompatible values of his Christian codes of honour and humanist beliefs which come into direct conflict. The deterioration of the diseased state is aligned with his detached relationship with all women as a result of Gertrude’s betrayal to King Hamlet which makes Hamlet question his very existence and the need to restore the natural order of kings. Hamlet has endured the test of time as it still identifies with a modern audience through the dramatized issues concerning every human’s critical self and is a representation of their own experience of the bewildering human condition, as Hamlet struggles to pursuit justice as a result of an unwise desire for revenge.
The character Orlando is not the only male in Shakespeare has fall victim to adjective pairing. Another such male character happens to be Hamlet, from the play Hamlet. Hamlet is of the age of a college student given when he is first introduced we learn he has to leave college to avenge the killing of his father. The father’s ghost beckons Hamlet to take revenge on his uncle for killing him and condemning him to purgatory. Hamlet’s quest of revenge ultimately consumes him, as well as his mother and eventually leads to his own death. Many of the characters in the play view Hamlet as threatening. They neither know his intentions nor his motives for his action, and so like many other men in Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet is left to fall under the
Shakespeare’s Hamlet, shows strong prejudice against woman especially with such characters of Ophelia and Gertrude. Shakespeare created an interesting character with Gertrude; he created a character that sits in the middle of all the conflict and appears to not partake in much of it. However Gertrude does seem intent in defusing it at every possible chance she receives. Gertrude is a central figure in the play. She appears a great deal but doesn’t say much – implying mystery and creating an interesting uncertainty in the audience. Hamlet spends a lot of time dwelling on her marriage to Claudius and Shakespeare leaves many questions unanswered with Gertrude such as did she have an affair with Claudius behind old hamlets back? Why does she drink the poisoned wine that is intended for her son? Does she know it is poisoned? Gertrude is the mother of Hamlet and although they do not have a typical mother son relationship she does love him. Queen Gertrude is often interpreted by many as an adulterate, incestuous woman. Catherine Belsey states that typical interpretations of Hamlet maintain: ‘Gertrude a slut; and Shakespeare a patriarchal bard’ (Belsey,1997:34). Gertrude’s actions throughout the play could be read to show her to be a very passive character, far from a strong independent woman. This is shown with her obedience to Claudius, three times during the play, Gertrude is told to leave and each times she complies without hesitation. In Act 1, scene 2 Claudius says to Gertrude, ‘Madam, come’ (122). Then again, Act 3, scene 1, Claudius says to her, ‘Sweet Gertrude, leave us .’ (28), she complies with ; ‘I shall obey you’ (37). And finally, in Act 4, scene 1, Claudius say, ‘O Gertrude, come away!’ (28). This obedience that Gertrude ...
In Hamlet, gender plays a huge role in the assumed capability of people. Queen Gertrude had to remarry instead of rule the kingdom by herself. If she wouldn’t have gotten remarried, it would have been likely that her kingdom would have been usurped by a chauvinist male ruler; who felt that women couldn’t rule a kingdom.
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.
Compared to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Almereyda’s adaptation creates a new reading and highlights various elements more directly through a change in the characterization of Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother. The movie advances her position as a woman, making her a commanding and prominent figure throughout. This new reading of Gertrude from the movie reflects the changes in societal views regarding women, due to varying time periods, progressing the position of Gertrude as a woman, and exploiting ideas of incest, misogyny, and
William Shakespeare, the author of many famous pieces of writing has proven to have a way of getting his point across without making any point at all. In two of his most famous works, Macbeth and Hamlet, Shakespeare takes a closer look at the roles of females when having to do with authority in their royal courts. He dramatizes real occurrences within his life at the time and brings them to light using his writing. In many plays he greatly emphasizes the feminist lens by telling of the female's great anxiety that eventually leads to an unstable court. This chaos causes the females to desperately cling to the people around them for acceptance until social and political power is regained. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Queen Gertrude’s experiences with Claudius and Hamlet illustrate a contrast between her longing for acceptance and her desire for an authoritative role in the royal court of Denmark.
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.
In Shakespeare’s dramatic works there is no room for the heroic or the strong woman, and therefore many of his plays can be perceived as being antifeminist. Often he portrays women as weak, mad, sexual, and as even witches. Hamlet is no exception. The only women in the play, Ophelia and Queen Gertrude, are given confined and limited roles. These roles are from a male-dominated viewpoint and only add focus to the male characters instead of incorporating the insight and the impact of the women as well.