Analytical Essay, Hamlet Lance Hoffman There were various lenses of reference available throughout the play, Hamlet by William Shakespeare. The feminist lens is one lens I will focus on. It was easy to detect that the text had some anti-feminist sentiment. Yet, there were other points in the play that were surprisingly feminist for the period. Ophelia played the anti-feminist stereotype of the time when Hamlet was written, while Gertrude performed the feminist part. Women didn't have any rights, had to follow men, couldn't work, and couldn't possess property throughout the Elizabethan age. which is what Ophelia stands for. Except for the one instance when she is speaking to her brother Laertes, Ophelia never challenges the patriarchy. Laertes was attempting to counsel her over her actions in Act 1, Scene 3 during their exchange. Ophelia rebuffed the advice, yelling at Laertes to stop instructing her how to live and to go about living his own life without interfering with hers. He tells Ophelia not to be afraid (Act 1, Scene 3). Hence, he portrays the patriarchal idea by demonstrating his lack of regard for Ophelia and her thoughts. In Hamlet, Ophelia was treated like an object in addition to the patriarchal purpose. …show more content…
In Hamlet, men in Ophelia's life took advantage of her to get what they sought, political power or something else. For instance, Polonius desired Ophelia to marry a powerful man so badly that it caused him to die. He thought Ophelia could fulfill his goals if she held herself to a higher standard (Act 1, Scene 3). Polonius misinterpreted Hamlet's return to Ophelia later in the play as a show of love because he needed to be seen as belonging to the upper class. He thinks Hamlet admires Ophelia and wants the two of them to wed. Even though he passed dead in the Elsinore
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia is portrayed as an obedient and innocent young woman. Many critics believe that these attributes represent the full extent of Ophelia’s being and that she is simply an object that moves the plot along, giving the male characters more depth. Although Ophelia may appear weak and passive at first glance, when examined at a deeper level, her character expresses strength and defiance as she overcomes the stress imposed upon her by her male superiors. In her article “Hearing Ophelia: Gender and Tragic Discourse in Hamlet,” Sandra Fischer analyzes Ophelia’s silence in the play, describing her inability to express her opinions against the loud male characters. While Fischer recognizes Ophelia’s battle, she fails to see her power as she voices her opinions and stands up against the male patriarchy.
Throughout the play is Hamlet quite spiteful toward women. Some would say to a misogynistic extent. He orders Ophelia, for example, to "go to a nunnery" and tells his mother, Gertrude, "frailty, thy name is woman" even though Hamlet is not very strong willed person. He is always split between his decisions and can never make up his mind. Hamlet is not a solid character with a clear path to achieve his goal.
3. 6-11). Clearly, “by stating such powerfully dismissive words, Laertes exhibits his objectification of Ophelia” (Olivas, 2015, p. 13). He rejects Hamlet’s affection towards her as false and short-lived before ordering that they end their relationship. However, despite this outwardly cruel manipulation of his sister to benefit his personal reputation “Laertes thinks that Hamlet will eventually hurt Ophelia” and thus his warning does truly look out for her genuine wellbeing (Tovsen, 2012, p. 8).
A quote from Megan Wray states, “Patriarchy has infiltrated our society so deeply that if women don’t follow a strict set of ‘proper’ behaviours, they’re immediately deemed wicked. That’s default-evil until proven good” (Wray, 2021). This quote relates to Shakespeare’s misogynistic depiction of women as evil if they are not subservient to their husbands, quiet, and naive. Consequently, when analyzing Hamlet written by Shakespeare from a feminist perspective it is evident that women are portrayed as wicked, impulsive, and superficial. These sexist stereotypes are greatly depicted in Act 1 Scene 5 of the play.
The classic writing of Hamlet has been analyzed through different lenses and approaches and it has allowed us to analyze the different narratives of the story. There are different lenses that enhance our knowledge about the context displayed in the story. One critical lens that provides a particularly illuminating perspective on this play is the feminist lens. The feminist approach would allow us to understand the narrative through the mindset of the women and how they were treated in the story. The characters of Ophelia and Gertrude were dismissed in the story as they were considered as “frailty” which means that women are weak and interdependent.
Justine Leleng Mrs. Wojciechowicz English 12 March 29, 2023 Viewing Hamlet through a Feminism Lens Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a timeless tale known for its revenge, betrayal, and tragedy. While the play is known for its character, Hamlet, viewing the story through a feminist lens offers us a fresh perspective on the story. Hamlet's actions and behavior throughout the play directly contribute to the tragic demise of his mother Gertrude and his lover Ophelia, showing us the destructive consequences of unresolved emotional trauma and the dangerous effects of toxic masculinity on relationships. Toxic masculinity is a recurring theme in Shakespeare's Hamlet, as male characters often treat women with condescension and control. An example of this masculine
In Hamlet, Shakespeare relies on male figures like Laertes to emphasize how men often serve as means to control and direct women. This is evident when Laertes warns Ophelia by saying, “And keep you in the rear of your affection out of the shot and danger of desire.” (1.3.34-35) Women are expected to be obedient to men, and this expectation grants men an advantage in dictating how women should lead their lives. In the case of Ophelia, Laertes serves as a means to control and constrain her, ensuring she adheres to traditional gender norms of purity and virtue. In contrast, Williams challenges traditional gender roles as discussed before, through female figures like Blanche.
Hamlet is affected by hegemonic masculinity in a patriarchal society, where he wants to “reinforce his superiority”, by “[devaluting] women” (Amaefula 2). This can be seen when Hamlet “tumbled” Ophelia and promised to “wed” after. However, not only did Hamlet break his promise after taking Ophelia’s virginity, Hamlet gaslights Ophelia, telling her he would have married her if “thou hadst not come” to his bed (4.5 l.62). Hamlet lies to Ophelia and even blames her for trusting him. The toxic masculinity from Hamlet’s surroundings causes Hamlet to assert his dominance by using Ophelia and throwing her away like an useless object, going as far as manipulating her and saying it's her fault for listening to him.
Ophelia subsequently enters the room to speak with her father and clarifies that Hamlet appeared unexpectedly and entered her room and grabbed her "by the wrist" (2.1.87). Ophelia has been refusing to talk to Hamlet and sending him letters under Polonius' orders, "but as you did command" (2.1.106). This passage demonstrates the dominance of men over women throughout this literary era. Additionally, Ophelia's revelation to her father that Hamlet actually loves her encourages Polonius to alert Claudius of Hamlet's actions, “. Come, go we to the king.
Throughout Hamlet, the thoughts, intentions, and actions of all of the characters can be explained through predisposed gender roles in the play. Hamlet is a tragedy in which the main character, Hamlet, attempts to seek vengeance for his father’s murder, while the relationships with him and around him begin to strain. In the play, gender plays a huge role in assuming the capability and worth of people. Women are most commonly depicted as being weak, powerless, and confused, while men are commonly shown as being strong, analytical, and intuitive. Hamlet features Ophelia and Gertrude as the only two female roles, and even then they show little independence from the males.
Hamlet: a Feminist Perspective Hamlet by William Shakespeare is considered to be the apogee of canonical texts. Hamlet who is seen to be the hero, seeks revenge of his uncle for killing his beloved father and marrying his mother. In the finale, all characters find an unfortunate end and leave the kingdom of Denmark to prince Fortinbras who coincidentally passes through to invade Poland. The play Hamlet has received great stricture from feminist critics due to the actions and behaviors of many of the characters in the play. Feminism is “the advocacy of woman 's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men” (Dictionary.com).
Hamlet’s dislike of women is shown through his behavior and language toward his mother, Ophelia, and women in general. In the play it is very obvious that he is heartless towards the opposite sex by the actions that he takes and the words that he speaks. During the time that this play was written women were viewed as insignificant human beings. Hamlet found himself having feelings for a woman and he does not know how to portray these feelings because he holds his mother responsible for his inability to love Ophelia.
In the Shakespeare play Hamlet, many of the male characters treat the female characters poorly. But in all the play, no female character receives treatment as poorly as Ophelia. Ophelia is treated as a possession by her father Polonius as well as other characters in the play, her main love interest Hamlet uses her to aid in his revenge plans, and the current societal norms place restraints on Ophelia's freedoms and prohibit her ability to break free of the men surrounding her. But is all of this mistreatment just misguided love and support for Ophelia, or are the abusive male characters of the play acting intentionally?
Instead of relying on his love for Ophelia, Hamlet turns to societal expectations to rule if he belongs with her or not. Ophelia is meant to be seen as fragile and pure, partly because that is the old societal standard for women, and partly because her mind is controlled by all the men in her life. Hamlet is very insulting to Opehlia just because she is a young and pretty woman. Ophelia is used by all the men in her life, Polonius, Hamlet and Laertes because they all have some sense of authority over women to fufill. Eventually, it is Hamlet’s disregard for Ophelias own thoughts that lead her to madness.
For numerous years in the past, women always play a smaller role in society politically, economically, and socially than men do. This was a norm for everyone living during that time period; everything that people do was reflect by it, including the literature written. In William Shakespeare 's Hamlet, the roles of women are just as society would have displayed them during that time. The leading women, Gertrude and Ophelia, are seen as less valuable than men and insignificant because of their dependence on male authorities, obedience, and are easily manipulated by others throughout the play.