Hamlet Feminist Analysis

Thesis: Throughout William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, women are viewed negatively and play a limited role within the society of Elsinore. Through the use of critical and dismissive dialogue, women are displayed as powerless, play a muted role and are dependant on a male figure.

The negative judgements of women are represented throughout the whole play through the use critical and dismissive dialogue towards the female characters. Hamlet believes that women are powerless humans. He first demonstrates his opinion on women when he is speaking with Ophelia. With a stern and angry tone Hamlet says “If thou dost marry. I’ll give thee this plague for thy/ Dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou/ Shalt not escape calumny. Get thee
They are under the power of men, as they are obligated to make decisions based on the decisions men make for them. Ophelia is in love with Hamlet, although she allows for other people to get involved in her decision making. Firstly, we see that Ophelia is seeking help from her brother Laertes about her relationship and feelings towards Hamlet. It is clear that Lateres acts selfishly when saying “If with too credent ear you list his songs/ Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open/ To his unmaster’d importunity/ Fear it, Ophelia, fear it my dear sister” (1.3.30-34). This demonstrates that Laertes is using his power over his sister to trick her into thinking what he wants, not what is best for her. Laertes believes that her virginity should not be given up to someone like Hamlet and would not give up their family reputation for a fool like Hamlet. Another example of the dependance would be how Gertrude cannot live for more than a month after her husband dies without a powerful male figure to guide her in her decisions. Hamlet says “Must i remember? Why, she would hang on him/ As if increase of appetite had grown/ By what it fed on; and yet, within a month/Let me not think on‘t---Frailty, thy name is woman” (1.2.143-147). He is talking about his mother, and saying that she is so desperate that she has to marry her own family member. Hamlet is appalled that
The lack of advice and intelligence suggested or given by a female character supports their lack of presence. Firstly, when Ophelia is seeking relationship advice in which you would predict for her to go to another female, the play was written with no motherly figure for her. She has to discuss “Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open” (1.3.30-34) or her virginity and love with her brother Laertes. Furthermore, Gertrude is a very muted character, even with her own son Hamlet. She has no presence or influence on Hamlet, even during the scenes in which they are both present. Gertrude tends to leave all the discussion to Claudius and is more of a background character or a shadow to the king. For example during the play within a play, Hamlet is more concerned for the reaction of the King although, the play is more offensive and aggressively attacking his mother. Although, after the duration of the play Gertrude concludes by saying “The lady doth protest too much, methinks” (3.2.222). Her reaction is left to minimal, as the reaction of the King was seen as more important. Additionally, the first motherly interaction we see between Hamlet and his Mother is during the duel towards the end of the play between Hamlet and Laertes. The Queen see that’s Hamlet is “fat and scant of breath” (5.2.79) so she offers him a handkerchief to fix himself. The role a female characters can be closely related