When is it ever rational to treat women in a disrespectful manner? In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, we witness the mistreatment and dehumanization of both female characters Gertrude and Ophelia. In the play, Gertrude plays is the Queen of Denmark, the widow of the late King Hamlet and Hamlet's mother, Ophelia, on the other hand, is the daughter of Polonius and the sister of Laertes. The treatment of women in Hamlet is concerning where the leading female characters are comparable to pawns who are often swayed and manipulated by the men they relish, with little opportunity to speak for themselves. Most specifically, Hamlet views women as feeble, dainty and untrustworthy where he treats Ophelia, his lover ( and once potential wife) unfair and with cruelty. Similarly, he often denounces his mother for marrying late Hamlet's brother, …show more content…
Hamlet's treatment of Ophelia and Gertrude is unreasonable because based on his mother's actions, manipulates and treats them as his inferior.
Hamlet maltreating Ophelia is unreasonable because although he is in love with her, he continues to mistreat her because of his mother's actions and her role in his revenge plans. Hamlet and Ophelia have a complicated relationship, where soon after Hamlet stumbles into Ophelia's room and "took me by the wrist and held me hard then goes he to the length of all his arm"(Shakespeare act 2 scene 1) he professes his love to her in a letter saying " Doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love" (Shakespeare act 2 scene 2) . Someone who is in love with another person wouldn't purposefully conduct themselves in a way that would leave their significant other