Role Of Women In Hamlet

Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1602. The play is set in Denmark where Hamlet is instructed to take revenge on his uncle Claudius who killed Hamlet’s father, Hamlet Senior, and then married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, in order to seize the throne. Female characters play an important yet underappreciated role in most of Shakespeare's plays especially Hamlet. The presence of only two female characters, Ophelia and Gertrude, shows the little value Shakespeare had for woman. Ophelia and Gertrude both play important roles in the progression of the play, however they are not adequately credited for their contribution. Gertrude, the queen of Denmark plays the role of a peace keeper between her new husband, Claudius, and her son Hamlet. Ophelia is Prince Hamlet’s romantic interest and daughter of Polonius, the man who helped Claudius kill the king. Shakespeare represents both women as submissive, naive and feeble instead of their positive traits.
In the Elizabethan era, women were tutored at home; they were not allowed to attend university or act in theatres. Disobedience to men was seen as a crime against their religion. To affirm this belief the Scottish protestant leader John Knox
The presence of only two female characters and their ultimate deaths show the little importance Shakespeare places on their role in his plays. In Hamlet, the roles of women are minor yet essential to the plot of the play. Gertrude and Ophelia are both seen as being submissive, naive and frail. Their actions are greatly influenced by men’s decisions, giving them a weak image as women who are dependent on men during Shakespeare’s time. Gender inequality is a predominant issue in many of Shakespeare’s plays, including Hamlet. To some readers Ophelia and Gertrude's downfalls can be blamed on the narrow minded and sexist men or their own inevitably obvious