Preview

The Portrayal Of Women In Hamlet

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
227 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Portrayal Of Women In Hamlet
The portrayal of women in Hamlet Throughout history, a strong male lead has been the popular choice in literature. Oftentimes, the females in written works are seen as weaker characters than their male counterparts. This was especially true in the time of Shakespeare. In Hamlet, both Ophelia and Gertrude, the queen, are written in this way. Although they both could have had a large impact on the plot, Shakespeare chose to write them in as small, impotent characters. This may be because that's how women were often viewed in his time. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the men seem to expect the women to do as they say without question. For the most part, that's what happens. One example of this is when Ophelia states "...but I did as you command. I
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Hamlet's Criticism Of Women Analysis
    • 205 Words
    • 1 Page

    Hamlet's Criticism Of Women Analysis

    Another reason why Hamlet’s criticisms of women are justified is due to the profound resentment he has for his own mother, which is reflected whenever he talks to any woman. Since he had a very close relationship with his father and thought very highly of him, Hamlet feels personally betrayed by his mother when she gets married to Claudius. He feels that Gertrude should be mourning his father’s death as deeply as he himself does, and thinks her decision to marry again was brash. Since he is expected to behave politely at all times due to his station, Hamlet does not feel as though he can express the hurt he feels to anyone, and instead keeps it bottled up inside. He is only able to release this anger when he is approached by another woman,…

    • 205 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On The Role Of Women In Hamlet
    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Essay On The Role Of Women In Hamlet

    In past years women have played a role economically, politically, and socially, therefore having a huge impact on the way they are perceived in literary works. Women have been oppressed and undermined by men for centuries, thus creating feminist criticism within literature. Mary Wollstonecraft author of, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, highlights the inequalities between the sexes. For example, men were seen as freethinkers that ruled and changed the world for better, while women were recognized as pretty objects that bear children and took care of household duties. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the women in the play are portrayed as extremely weak, passive, and submissive, illustrating the power dynamics between men and women.…

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Femininity In Hamlet Essay
    • 416 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Femininity In Hamlet Essay

    Since the Renaissance, when Shakespeare born and wrote his works, many of the plays and literature styles have gained wide popularity among the readers and influenced many of the readers and the critics. Furthermore, people often say, it is widely believed at this time that role of males stand completely opposite to that of females; however, through the play of Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays a complex representation of human beings including femininity in its protagonist and title character, prince Hamlet. The Women in Literature and Life Assembly states in one of their articles, “Defining masculine and feminine characteristics allowed writers like Shakespeare to draw males with certain ‘feminine’ characteristics and females with certain ‘masculine’…

    • 416 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Prince Hamlet Flawed Hero Research Paper
    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Prince Hamlet Flawed Hero Research Paper

    Hamlet and Ophelia loved each other early on in the play, but Ophelia is told by her father to break all contact with him. Hamlet goes to Ophelia on the brink of a breakdown, partly caused by his mother's infidelities. When he turns to his lover for support, his mother's lesson are reinforced and through her actions, Ophelia confirms in Hamlet's mind that women can not be trusted even though Ophelia was only following her father’s orders. Now distrusting Ophelia, they meet again when Prince Hamlet knows Polonius is spying on their conversation. With Ophelia failing to admit her purpose of the conversation, he now calls Ophelia a liar. At that point, he thought all women were adulterous and could not be trusted, like his mother. He then says “Get thee to a nunnery, farewell. Or if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go, and quickly too. Farewell” (Shakespeare, Act 3.1.124-127). Hamlet is being very cruel, referring to her as a prostitute. But not only is he insulting Ophelia, but women in general because now, all women are the same to…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Innocence of Ophelia and Gertr Essay Example
    • 760 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Innocence of Ophelia and Gertr Essay Example

    Hamlet has the disillusion that women are frail after his mother's rushed remarriage as shown by "Frailty, thy name is woman!" He also believes women do not have the power to reason. ("O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason.") Ophelia has the power to change his view but her unexplained rejection of him only adds to Hamlet's disillusion. The ghost's revelation that Gertrude dishonored Hamlet's father but also their marriage by the adultery with Claudius is contemplated by Hamlet until he goes into Ophelia's room to look upon her. As Hamlet searches Ophelia's face for some sign that might restore his faith in her, he instead believes her face shows guilt and thinks she is another false Gertrude.…

    • 760 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet Gender Inequality Analysis
    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Hamlet Gender Inequality Analysis

    Gender inequality in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, is a key discourse which is explored throughout the character of Ophelia. In Elizabethan England, the period of William Shakespeare, women were brought up in a patriarchal society where they were dominated by the authority of men. Women were socially degraded and taught they were inferior to men. Ophelia, is portrayed as weak, submissive and is manipulated continuously by the male figures in her life. Throughout the play, Ophelia is continuously taken advantage of and used as an object by her father Polonius and her love interest Hamlet. In modern day society, women have become more independent and generally have more freedom in regards to social expectations.…

    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet And Ophelia Analysis
    • 839 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Hamlet And Ophelia Analysis

    In many of William Shakespeare’s works, it is evident that Shakespeare is alluding the lack of intelligence and weakness of women. “Frailty, thy name is woman” (1.2.146), quoted by Shakespeare in Hamlet is an example of this. In Hamlet, Shakespeare depicts characters like Ophelia and Gertrude as demonstrating weakness and being tools of manipulation by the males in their lives. Their actions and fates are greatly influenced by the men's decisions and are led by the men in their lives, which gives them a weak image. Women in the Elizabethan era were reliant on men to make their decisions as they were oppressed and disregarded in society. As Alex Gilbertson states, “this was not a glorious time…

    • 839 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Misogyny In Hamlet
    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of Misogyny In Hamlet

    The motif of misogyny occurs throughout the play ‘Hamlet,’ it is however especially prominent in Act III Scene I, lines 135-149. Shakespeare has used negative imagery and language to portray ‘Hamlet’s’ dislike of women, for example ‘Hamlet’ in this extract curses ‘Ophelia’ that even if she is ‘as chaste as ice, as pure as snow,’ she will still be looked down upon, the imagery of ‘snow’ is often used by authors to represent virginity and is not necessary seen as being negative, Shakespeare however could have used this language to create the connotation that like ‘snow’ and ‘ice’ virginity is only temporary, and not something that will last forever, this is something that appears to frustrate and anger ‘Hamlet.’ This frustration ‘Hamlet’ has…

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Gender Roles In Hamlet
    • 1271 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Gender Roles In Hamlet

    William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an intricate literary masterpiece, made up of a conglomeration of different techniques that add dimension, color, and texture to the story. There are countless uses of characterization, dark humor, and many other literary components in Hamlet, all of which are used to give the reader a more emotional and thought provoking reading or listening experience, and insight into the twisted storyline. One of the most interesting of Shakespeare’s techniques is the characterization of each gender as a separate entity. He seems to give the main characters traits that will lead them to follow certain trends for their gender. In Hamlet, Shakespeare characterizes the main male characters as men with power who tend to exercise…

    • 1271 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Women In Hamlet
    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Women In Hamlet

    “Women may fall, when there’s no strength in men” –William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare conveys this message about women being inferior to men through all his plays. He says that men are women’s strength and are the reason for women’s survival. Shakespeare shows women to be obedient and weak, whereas, men to be strong and independent. Once again, Shakespeare continued this trend of showing women to be dominated and influenced figures in his play Hamlet. Hamlet was written in 160 set in Denmark during the Elizabethan era. A very significant part of the play Hamlet is gender roles where the men are powerful, dominant, and revengeful but, the women are fragile, manipulated, and simply weak. There are many examples throughout Hamlet in…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Is Hamlet A Misogynist
    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Is Hamlet A Misogynist

    Hamlet gets into an argument during the play when people are spying on them and says---”. He tells Ophelia that she --because it was so easy for him to take her virginity. Hamlet also feels that Ophelia is weak too which is why he controls her and makes her do what he says. From what we see throughout the play hamlet does not think very good of any women. Towards the end of the play Ophelia drowns and some say it could have been hamlet.…

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Assisted Suicide Speech
    • 150 Words
    • 1 Page

    Assisted Suicide Speech

    People all over the world have a misconception about what the term ‘assisted suicide’ truly entails. Assisted suicide is suicide committed with the aid of another person, most times a caretaker, family member or physician. Assisted suicide is becoming more and more common across the world. With the House of Lords trying to pass a bill to legalize assisted suicide in the UK and the continuously rising rates in Switzerland. While there is no federal law involving assisted suicide in the U.S, the act is legal in five states. Some people like to believe that they are helping their terminally or mentally ill family member or friend when it comes to this act, but are they really? I believe that the government should set boundaries and explain in…

    • 150 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Misogyny In Hamlet
    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Misogyny In Hamlet

    Walking down the street and encountering a crazy person, one would wonder how that person is capable of navigating home. How can a mentally unstable person function in society? When a tragedy occurs, people handle it differently. A stereotype about women is that they are emotional to the point of insanity. Society views men as decision makers and action takers. This sexism instilled in society could lead a person to craziness in itself. The constricting idea that each gender has a role in tragedy is troubling. When a father dies, the man takes the responsibility over. Society assumed the daughter is emotionally unstable and in need of assistance. In Hamlet, Ophelia is parallel to Hamlet in the events that occur, showing that death is an equalizer of even the deepest misogyny.…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Objectification Of Women In Hamlet
    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of Objectification Of Women In Hamlet

    Objectification is defined as, “a notion central to feminist theory…the seeing and/or treating a person, usually a woman, as an object.”¹ There are several ways to look at the idea of the objectification of women in literature. Shakespeare’s, Hamlet can be a prime example of the objectification of women when viewed through a feminist lens, due to the use of violability, instrumentality, and silencing by the misogynistic patriarchy, towards the women of the noble family.…

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Essay On The Portrayal Of Women In Hamlet
    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Essay On The Portrayal Of Women In Hamlet

    In Western society, women are part of a very prosperous age, where they are seen as equals to men; however, this is not the case in Shakespeare’s time. The issues and gender roles forced upon women during England’s Elizabethan era are highlighted by Shakespeare in many of his plays. In Shakespeare’s, Hamlet, the women in the play are powerless, which can be seen through their lack of control over their sexuality, their lack of voice and their lack of independence.…

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More

Related Topics