Passive Women In Hamlet

Shakespeare had a history of writing stronger female characters that have proven to be pertinent and influential for women throughout history. Bianca in Taming of the Shrew, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, and even Juliet from the infamous Romeo and Juliet are all examples of strong female leads. Many have observed how in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia seems to be an exception to this trend. As a more subservient character, the only role Ophelia plays, is a toy for Hamlet. Her own father, Polonius, even uses her for his own gain. However, this is a misconception because it is her position in society that presents her as weak, not her character. Ophelia is introduced a passive younger sister and daughter, who listens to and complies with
Ophelia attempts to give him love letters that he had written to her, early on in their relationship. At first, he simply rejects them, but the conversation quickly grows more intense. “Get thee to a nunnery,” Hamlet demands. Even though he could just be trying to protect her by pushing her away from his increasing madness, Ophelia only feels hurt. Unaware of his deeper motives to avenge his father, she takes his attacks personally and as a sign that he never truly loved her. During this argument, Hamlet suspects that Polonius is hiding and accuses Ophelia of being an accessory to her father’s scheme, leading him to further humiliate her. Not only has she been manipulated by her father, but now also Hamlet; a man whom she loved
Hamlet enters, and instead of sitting next to his mother, he sits with Ophelia, whom he refers to as “a metal more attractive.” Then, he makes sexual advances towards her that he attempts to play off as a joke. Ophelia notices and points out what a good mood he is in. As Ophelia tries to watch the play, other members in the audience are watching her. Distracted by Claudius and Gertrude and their reaction to the play, Hamlet is completely unaware of how his actions are affecting Ophelia. The last time they spoke, he was lashing out at her, but she did not try to defend herself against him, just as she never stood up for herself against her father. Many readers have noticed this and assumed it means that she is weak, that she cannot stand up for herself, that she is nothing more than a young and frail girl who could not survive without a man to take care of