William Shakespeare illustrates the dichotomous emotions of love and hate as co-existing emotions through the relationships between women in society.
Shakespeare exemplifies Hamlet’s high expectations of women to become damaged through their unethical actions causing them to be viewed at a lower status. Shakespeare exemplifies how women’s immoral actions do not strengthen Hamlet’s opinion of women in general. Hamlet expects his mother to mourn for her husband’s death and to live a life honoring him; however, the queen remarries with Claudius, he describes it as, “incestuous sheets!” (Hamlet 1.2.157). The reality of his mother’s immoral actions does not meet his expectations and he loses his respect for women. As Hamlet’s relationship with his mother becomes worse, he still respects his mother enough to displace his anger onto Ophelia. When Hamlet is
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Hamlet’s relationship with Ophelia diminishes because she does not live up to Hamlet’s expectations of love. He describes that a lover has to be fair and honest (3.1.103-105). When Ophelia returns Hamlet’s gifts, and lies in order to conceal the tactic that Polonius has planned, Hamlet’s image of Ophelia’s love diminishes. Hence, his perspective of women, who are the source of love, is completely transformed into hatred, and so his perception of women overpowers his love he had once with her. Hamlet confesses his love he had for her, but he dismisses the confession by telling her she shouldn’t have believed him since morality can’t compete with human nature’s natural sinfulness (3.1.115-119). Shakespeare illustrates Hamlet’s misogynistic perceptions through the impossible expectations of woman in his life, which created the emotions of love and hate to co-exist between himself and the women in his