Stereotypes In Hamlet

Mad, “but mad north-north-west”
Gender expectations for men have drastically changed from the late middle ages to the 21st century. The modern man is thoughtful, empathetic, and openly sensitive. When presented with a problem, he thinks about all the different people who are affected and carefully looks at each perspective before deciding what to do. On the other hand, 15th century men were considered the breadwinners, always expected to put on a brave face and hide their true feelings. Showing any signs of emotional vulnerability such as crying, grieving, and opening up was considered weak and feminine and was highly frowned upon. Men were supposed to immediately act upon their emotions using their instinct, a rather Dionysian way of behaving.
For example, when he is called forth in front of the court at Claudius and Gertrude’s wedding, they interrogate him to hint that his gloom is unacceptable. Hamlet hates all these questions and feels like he is “too much in the sun” (25). Being in the sun portrays the idea of bringing the unknown to light. However, the sun is a strong force that can be cruel and painful when overused. Hamlet is the victim; he has received so much attention to a point where it leaves him feeling burnt out and overwhelmed. He feels like the subject of a dissection, being torn apart and carefully studied under bright lights. This is extremely infuriating to him because as a modern man, he knows it is perfectly reasonable to experience symptoms of depression after losing a loved one. He simply wants a safe place to mourn and communicate his sorrows. However, at this point in history, men were expected to repress their emotions and rapidly get over grief. Hamlet does not want to do this because he knows repression and pretending like nothing is wrong is a form of lying to both his peers and himself. In addition, the word “sun” has a dual meaning, for Hamlet is also referring to himself Claudius’s son. He finds this new relationship to be “too much,” which has a double meaning. First, it emphasizes Hamlet’s anger about his mother moving
He frustratingly remarks that “conscience does make cowards” (129). When he says this, it is not something he actually believes: he is mocking society for this absurd mindset. As a modern man who wants a plan of action before jumping into any decisions, Hamlet makes the choice to mentally deal with his troubles versus physically taking up arms against Claudius. He knows this is the right decision: he needs to consider how Gertrude would react, what this would mean for his relationship Ophelia, what his father would want him to do, and whether or not he really wants to be king. All these voices in Hamlet’s head, his “conscience,” are working together to devise a thoughtful plan that would minimize hurt feelings, physical threat, and guilt. However, according to the rest of medieval society, this makes Hamlet a “coward”—a lame, wimpy loser who is too scared to face danger and make a name of himself. In the 15th century, when an opportunity presented itself, men were supposed to take it without second thought. Waiting to act was the equivalent of inaction, and inaction was the equivalent of being a timid and frail daffodil. Men needed to use their swords before their brains to fit the bold, swashbuckler image. Hamlet knows this is not philosophically right, and he prefers to take his time in the decision-making process