Ophelia's Oppression Of Women Essay

In Shakespeare’s, Hamlet, he exemplifies the mistreatment, as well as, the oppression of women, through various characters that rely on their dependence on men as a means of survival. Throughout the novel, Ophelia and Gertrude are portrayed as weak and dependent, due to their inability to even think or function without the assistance of a man. Similarly, in act one, scene four of Hamlet, Polonius learns of Ophelia’s interactions with Lord Hamlet. For Polonius, this is not exciting news, “ I would not, in plain terms, in this time forth have you so slander any moment leisure as to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet. Look to’t, I charge you. Come your ways,” (1,4). Ophelia simply replies, “ I shall obey, my Lord,” (1,4). Instead of standing

For instance, in act three, scene four, Hamlet speaks to his mother, “ What’s the matter now?” in which she responds, “ Have you forgot me?” Hamlet replies, “No, by the rood, not so. You are the Queen, your husband’s brother’s wife, and (would it for not so) you are my mother,” (3,4). After Hamlet’s father’s death, Gertrude immediately remarried, however, not to just anybody. She married Hamlet’s uncle. Through this dialogue, it is revealed that Gertrude cannot be on her own. She is dependent on having someone by her side to rule, to make all the critical decisions. Nonetheless, some may justify her dependence on the time period, because “everyone is like that”, or even bring up the point that, royalty comes with a load of stress and can be made more bearable by having someone else to rule with. While that may be true, it is made apparent as the story continues to develop, that Gertrude seems, “ a kindly, slow witted, rather self-indulgent woman,” (http://www.avensoline.org/fulltextarticles/JSUR-2332-4139-51-0001hmtly. (2015). Journal of Surgery, 03-07). She lacks independence, she allows men to easily manipulate her mind, even her way of thinking, due to her codependency on the men in her

In her case, she does not have enough strength to overcome both situations. In act four, scene seven, Gertrude announces, “ On woe, doth tread upon another’s heel. So fast they follow. Your sister drowned, Laertes,” ( 4,7). When Ophelia was up in the tree, the branch broke leaving her to drown in the water below her. On the other hand, controversy lies in whether or not Ophelia’s death was suicide or accidental. Though the branch breaking, is not necessarily her fault, it is believed that, “ Ophelia’s ‘garments’ ‘pull’ her down, as if they had a mind of their own. This seems to be a metaphor for the way Ophelia lives her life: doing what her father and brother- and boyfriend- tell her to do, rather than making decisions for herself,”. Ophelia constantly let the men around her manipulate her way of thinking, much like Gertrude, down to where Ophelia could no longer think on her own. She was always looking for reassurance or permission for what she would think, say and even