Ophelia And Hamlet Research Paper

Feminism has changed over the years, specifically in literature. Dating back from the Elizabethan era (1558-1603), women have been limited from what to say to what to do; women were told and taught what to think. They were expected to succumb to the male role in the household, thus bringing these expectations onto the stage. Women needed to keep their thoughts clear of sin, hence the heavy emphasis on religion. As the male took the leading role, women were started to be viewed as vulnerable and weak. Their background influenced their portrayal in Hamlet: Ophelia and Gertrude are described as manipulative, destructive, and sinful. Through gender roles, literature has altered the portrayal of women from its intended purpose to show their vulnerability to men because of gender stereotypes, gender oppression, and gender inequality. To commence, both Hamlet and Polonius demonstrate their own interpretation of the women in their lives: Gertrude and Ophelia, therefore, emphasizing the gender
His relationship with Ophelia is perhaps based more on lust, rather than love. As Ophelia anxiously awaits Hamlet for his love, her fixed view of how she is supposed to live is set in stone; she is supposed to obey men, engage in housework, cook, and be submissive. According to Ophelia's "Old Lauds": Madness and Hagiography in Hamlet, Chapman says, “With her avenues to both marriage and the female community of a cloister blocked, Ophelia seems to fall by default into madness” (113). Ophelia, due to her gender, is automatically placed in a system where she is supposed to be married, while committing to her household duties as a woman. However, Hamlet’s initial thought of Ophelia is to play with her emotions. As a man with power and status, Ophelia is, thus again, seen as an impotent and shy person who is desperate of removing herself from her expected default