Women in the Patriarchal Society Women today have way more rights than those about 100 years ago. Unlike the story Hamlet, women are able to have independence and do not have to depend on men today. While in the past, women were seen as housekeepers and mothers. They had to listen, respect and obey their husband or the man of the house. This was the normal for them in those days, so they had no choice, but to obey and do as told. Women in the time of Ophelia and Gertrude had little autonomy, having their lives towards only their father or husband. They live in a patriarchal society, which is where men made the decisions for them and hold great power. There are two main female characters in the play, Hamlet. They are Gertrude, the queen of Denmark and the mother of Hamlet, and Ophelia, Hamlet’s love. Both of these women’s role played in the play set up a cause and effect type of system. Also they live in the shadows of the men, …show more content…
Ophelia represents on how women are treated. Ophelia is a young women that is an obedient daughter who depends on the men in her life, especially her father. She would do anything to please her father, even to make personal sacrifice that she does not agree on. She did have a few choices in her life. Ophelia is able to criticize her brother, Laertes to some extent. When Laertes is talking to her to have fear about her losing her virginity, she says this to him, “Whiles, a puffed and reckless libertine, / Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads, / And recks not his own rede” (I.iii.49-52). Then when it comes to her father giving her the same lecture and tells her not to accept anything from Hamlet, her simply reply, “I shall obey, my lord” (I.iii.136). Since Ophelia is very obedient, she is easily manipulated and used by the guys in her life. Hamlet uses her to give the image that he is filled with madness still, which he knows that she would go tell her father about