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How Does Hamlet Treat Women

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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

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After Hamlet's dissolution with Ophelia, the main character carries a misogynistic personality towards all women in the play. QUOTE. In this quote, Hamlet accuses Ophelia (and the entire female population) of being a "breeder of sinners" and orders Ophelia to a "nunnery". Of course, this brash attitude stems from Gertrude's decision to remarry not even two months after the death of the King. Hamlet also believes that if Ophelia were to marry, she'd turn her husband into a "monster" (A "cuckold") because she would inevitably cheat on her spouse.

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778 Words | 4 Pages

In Hamlet’s soliloquy, he explains his resent towards his mother, Gertrude, for marrying his uncle, Claudius, so soon after his father’s death. Hamlet holds his father in high regard and does not think that Claudius can even be compared to him. Therefor, Hamlet thinks that by Gertrude marrying Claudius, she shows no love toward his father, and he is aware of how much his father loved his mother. When Hamlet says “Frailty, thy name is woman,” (Hamlet, I.ii) he is referring to all women. Because of his disgust with Gertrude, he believes that all women are frail and possess a weak character.

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King Hamlet loved Gertrude with all his heart that he “might not beteem the winds of heaven visit her face too roughly” this represents true unforgettable love. Hamlet is exasperated about his mother’s hasty marriage that he claims a “beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer”. Gertrude’s hasty marriage with Claudius seems to Hamlet as done with “wicked speed to post with such dexterity to incestous sheets” showing Hamlet is disgusted with this relationship and aggressively disapproves to this action. Further into the play Act 3 Scene 2, Hamlet is having a conservation with Ophelia when he mentions “look you how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died within two hours” showing anger towards the happiness of his mother. Throughout the play Hamlet uncovers horrible deeds his uncle has committed, which were “Remorseless, Treacherous, lecherous”.

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651 Words | 3 Pages

Hamlet’s views on women is adulterous which pertains to the misogynistic tendencies in the play; thus, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, sparks up his misogynistic approaches. Hamlet is repulsed with Gertrude since she was quick to re-wed immediately following Old Hamlet’s death and cries: “She married. O, most wicked speed, to post / With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!” (1.2.156-157). Hamlet is shocked that his mother remarries to Claudius, Old Hamlet’s brother, before letting the tears on her cheek to dry.

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937 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet has not only become distraught from his conniving and lying stepfather but also his mother, Queen Gertrude as well. The unfaithfulness that Gertrude shows to Hamlet’s father and Hamlet has a toll on him and plays a part in his insanity. The facade that Hamlet displays slowly leads to his insanity, causing him to show mistreated love towards Ophelia. In the beginning of the play, Ophelia displays a very honest

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Every modern society since the beginning of time has painted the female as frail and individuals at the mercy of men, unable to reap the same freedoms and aspirations as their male counterparts. The English Renaissance is no different as women were not allowed to play themselves on stage, and more often than not were seen as weak characters in their portrayal. In Shakespeare's “Hamlet”, all the female protagonists all have flaws that eventually leads to them meeting their deaths. The characters of Ophelia and Gertrude are two different women trapped in the same predicament, partly being due to the inefficacy of being taken seriously, and are therefore perceived as feeble women; looking at the persona of Ophelia, she tends to follow the direction

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1389 Words | 6 Pages

Saying this, Hamlet’s behavior towards Ophelia is crude, rough, and full of anger. Despite Hamlet’s harsh treatment towards Ophelia, he really did love her, but because she was not his main focus, the

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360 Words | 2 Pages

Gertrude’s actions make Hamlet fearful of Ophelia because of the potential for betrayal. Hamlet thinks all women are unfaithful because of the actions of his mother. Hamlet projects the anger he has for Gertrude onto Ophelia. Hamlet treats Ophelia in a disrespectful manner.

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1441 Words | 6 Pages

Feminism has gained a new definition a new understanding of female roles since the Elizabethan Era. Hamlet, a play written by William Shakespeare, is about a young prince, Hamlet, being visited by his father’s apparition urging him to avenge his death by murdering Prince Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius. All the while, Hamlet is enraged by his mother’s hasty marriage to Claudius and is showering his supposed love, Ophelia, with gifts and words of affection. Queen Gertrude and Ophelia are blindly obedient to male authority due to the influence of the social standards that require women to be submissive to men. Queen Gertrude and Ophelia’s actions and outcomes as characters are affected by male influence, the social norms of this time, and the females’ consequences of following these norms.

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937 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet once again fails to understand that Ophelia much like himself is only trying to stay loyal to her father, much like what he is doing himself. In addition, Hamlet blames woman for giving birth to such evil and deceiving men like Claudius and himself. When he was talking to Ophelia he told her "Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better

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1478 Words | 6 Pages

In Hamlet, Ophelia and Gertrude are the only two female characters. This already shows the imbalance of power and influence the female characters start with. On top of being so limited in numbers, the female characters in Hamlet are very limited in obvious character development. Characters like Claudius, Hamlet, and Laertes are all given obvious goals and desires, whereas the female characters never have the opportunity to take affirmative actions for their needs. Despite not having much influence in the storyline, there are situations where the female characters are able to stand up for themselves.

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396 Words | 2 Pages

Shakespearean Misogyny In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the two women in the play, Gertrude and Ophelia, are repeatedly manipulated and exploited by the men in their lives. They submit to male authority and oppressive societal customs because they have no other options. Gertrude and Ophelia are placed in this situation because of a male-dominated society that blames women for sexual immorality and corruption. Hamlet’s views about women are consistent with the commonly-held views of his peers.

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1259 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout the conversation and various parts of the play, Hamlet expresses his disgust for his mother 's actions. He insults her by comparing his father to Hyperion and Claudius to a satyr. He tells Gertrude not to sin by sleeping with him and tells her she is nothing but lustful for marrying a man like Claudius when he says, “That blurs the grace and blush of modesty,/ Calls virtue hypocrite, takes off the rose/ From the fair forehead of an innocent love/ And sets a blister there, makes marriage vows/

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1056 Words | 5 Pages

In act one Gertrude marries her dead husband 's brother Claudius, Hamlet is not very happy that his mother did this. Hamlet feels very betrayed by his own mother because she remarried so quickly. He feels as if this is an unforgivable

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1656 Words | 7 Pages

He did not innately hate all women, but slowly as he reserved rejection after rejection he snapped. Hamlet’s relationships differed between Gertrude and Ophelia, but both had the same goal of Hamlet having someone to love and care about him. With the goal of compassion being accomplished, he spiralled in a growing hatred of the female population. Hamlet’s misogyny is not the result sexual repression , but rather his environment and the interactions with women. Ernest Jones argues that Hamlet’s misogyny stems from the sexual repression of Gertrude and Ophelia.

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