Ophelia. When she returns his tokens of affections as she was ordered to do by Polonius, Hamlet lashes out and says any possible thing he can to hurt her. It is in this moment that Ophelia is a surrogate for Hamlet’s feelings, receiving all the anger and hurt he feels for his mother. Thus Hamlet’s negative views on women and his cruel treatment of them could be seen as reasonable.
Ophelia. When she returns his tokens of affections as she was ordered to do by Polonius, Hamlet lashes out and says any possible thing he can to hurt her. It is in this moment that Ophelia is a surrogate for Hamlet’s feelings, receiving all the anger and hurt he feels for his mother. Thus Hamlet’s negative views on women and his cruel treatment of them could be seen as reasonable.