The Role of Women in Hamlet Essay

The Role of Women and Their Effects

They can be viewed as the key character in a novel in order to glorify the importance of the novel. In Shakespeares play, Hamlet, there are two extremely critical women characters, Gertrude and Ophelia. Gertrude is Hamlets mother and Ophelia is Hamlets love. combine last two and maybe next one sentences without to be verbsThese women are both related and tied into the play by the male characters that surround them. Forcefully they are controlled and overruled in many ways by the males because the Elizabethan Era in England did not hold women in high regard. But these women, Gertrude and Ophelia, carry the truth of the reason of Hamlets decisions and actions that lead to his madness throughout the play; yet, the frailty of women in the time of Shakespeare becomes very relevant through the ladies actions themselves.

Gertrude influences Hamlet in many ways as his mother and a queen. Hamlet was very angered by his mother's remarriage to his uncle after his own fathers death because he felt like he was being betrayed by both his uncle and his mother. By not wanting to accept the betrayal, Hamlet describes King Claudius as "My father's brother, but no more like my father, than I to Hercules: within a month, ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears had left the flushing in her galled eyes, she married (1.2.157-161). As a result of his mother's actions, Hamlet takes revenge against Claudius for the death of his father. Claudius had to kill his brother to become king and marry Gertrude in hopes of gaining power and love. Hamlet also holds reason to believe that his mother betrayed him and his father as well. While speaking with the ghost, the ghost leads him to insights even declaring that his mother also held a cause in his fathers

murder. Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, with witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts, O wicked wit, and gifts that have the power so to seduce! (1.5.49-52). Hamlet then begins to blame his mother for the belief that she may have never loved his father at all and that her true love and heart laid with Claudius the whole time. His mother and her sexuality possibly contributed as a secondary reason that Claudius desired to kill the King. Therefore, Gertrude is a significant part of the plot.

As Hamlets girlfriend and love, Ophelia aids Hamlet in his decisions throughout his life not in the play Hamlet relies on his love and relationship with Ophelia throughout his hopeful journey of revenge. Hamlet writes a love letter and poem to Ophelia during his period in which Ophelia was an angel in his eyes representing true love. "Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; but never doubt I love (2.2.124-127). Hamlet regards Ophelia to be a proper lady that he can trust and hold as the real representation of pure and innocent love. In many places and times, Hamlet obviously leans and relies on Ophelia; \yet in the end, his madness drove her to her death. His madness and plan for revenge leads to turmoil in their relationship. In hopes for proof of Hamlets love, Ophelia asks, Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than with honesty? (3.1.119-120). Hamlet looks towards his love and tells her that "I did love you once" (3.1.125). She responds to Hamlets words in disbelief because of how his emotions have gradually changes towards her. She mentions to him how she once knew that he loved her more than any other woman but she could tell that his feelings seem to vanish. Hamlet then becomes enraged even yelling I loved you not (Line 121). Ophelia states that she feels angered, lonely, and unhopeful by their relationship and starts to lose sense of sanity herself like Hamlet. Madness causes Hamlet to take advantage of the people around him and end up not treating them the way they deserve to be treated. Hamlet has many reasons of why he went mad, but finding out that Ophelia put her trust into helping Claudius and Polonius made him shut down.

She conveys an important woman and person in Hamlets life and her supposed betrayal leads to insanity. Hamlets madness becomes even more evident and revealing after being with Ophelia.

Gertrude maintains to be the most powerful woman in the play but she never will have as much power as any other man. Marrying Claudius allows Gertrude to maintain her power as queen. Hamlet becomes very nervous about the fact that she married so quickly after his fathers death that revolts his mothers sexuality all together. In his soliloquy, Hamlet reflects upon how his mother once grasped for support from King Hamlet And yet, within a month let me not think on t; frailty, thy name is woman! Hamlet believes that women hold no sense of dignity and that they willingly tighten their grip on to anything for sexual reasons and importance. Hamlet never has been placed in a situation compared to his mothers and does not comprehend that his mother had no choice in the matter because she wanted and desired having control. Even when Laertes accuses her new husband of murdering his father, Polonius, Gertrude gives signs that her loyalty lays with her husband, Claudius. Laerates demands to see the king because he believes that he holds the burden of the murder of his father. When Claudius tells him Polonius is dead, Gertrude steps in to protect her husband and states But not by him (4.5.146). Gertrude needs to protect Claudius not only for his life, but for her stature as queen. Without another man to marry, Gertrude could no longer remain as queen. Gertrude clasped tightly on to her crown because of the reasons that women never had the chance to receive power. The queen was the only woman who received a little amount of power, but not even as close to the amount of men. Gertrude is a source of women dominance but she stands by the men around her in hopes of retaining power.

Ophelia also contains weakness throughout her time because of her status in society. Because of her gender, she must remain loyal to her father and brother because their consent is necessary before she goes towards any other man. Ophelia is forced by her father, Polonius, and

her brother, Laertes, to cross Hamlet and not abide to him anymore. Her father demands that she denies Hamlets access to her and it is her duty to obey. Polonius fears for her well being and tells her that This must be known, which, being kept close, might move more grief to hide than hate to utter love (2.2.131-133). Ophelia does not receive any choices in this case because she belongs and is property of her father and therefore forced to oblige to his wishes. \ Even though Ophelia learns that Hamlets madness leads him to act in weird ways, she cannot help but to love him in both sanity and insanity. Though once he reveals how crazy he actually directly to her, she begins to unravel into madness. Ophelia loses her mind and dances and sings into the palace singing about death and betrayal. Tomorrow is Saint Valentines day, all in the morning betime, and I a maid at your window, to be your Valentine (4.5.53-56). Ophelia is pushed her whole life by the men who surround her because that is how society was. \ Women were not allowed to have an opinion or even a thought in that time period. Ophelia was only able to unveil her true feelings in a point of absolute madness. Because of how women are forced to act, Ophelia was driven into madness.

The two women, Gertrude and Ophelia, are dominating figures that become the basis for the play. you don't support this - Even though women do not hold dominate power on their own, they could have power over the men that they were bound to. The play is surrounded by the backbone of women and how they affect all the men around them. Hamlet himself is driven by Gertrude and Ophelia throughout the entire play and their thoughts, words, and actions are what direct him. The women may appear to have a small role in the play but without Gertrude and Ophelia, Hamlet would not be the same revenge tragedy that it is today.