Thesis: Throughout William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, women are viewed negatively and play a limited role within the society of Elsinore. Through the use of critical and dismissive dialogue, women are displayed as powerless, play a muted role and are dependant on a male figure. The negative judgements of women are represented throughout the whole play through the use critical and dismissive dialogue towards the female characters. Hamlet believes that women are powerless humans. He first demonstrates his opinion on women when he is speaking with Ophelia.
With a stern and angry tone Hamlet says “If thou dost marry. I’ll give thee this plague for thy/ Dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou/ Shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a, Nunnery/ Farewell. Or, if thou wilt needs, Marry, marry a fool; for/Wise men know well enough what monster you make/ Of them. To a nunnery, go— and quickly too. Farewell. ” Hamlet is expressing to Ophelia that women are unnecessary in society and men are fools to marry them. He believes that women turn their men into monsters, and that women belong no where but nunneries.
By saying this Hamlet is saying that women have nothing good to bring to society, and if they were locked up in a nunnery life would be much simpler for men. Hamlet’s attitude continues when he is comparing women to ‘make up’. Hamlet says, “I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another. You jig and amble, and you lisp; and nickname God’s creatures and make your wantonness your ignorance. ” (3. 1. 154). Hamlet is specifically comparing Ophelia and her actions to makeup.
He believes that the act of playing dumb, walking and talking is like makeup that covers a women and makes them appear to be something that they are not, they are powerless. Furthermore, Laertes is talking to his sister Ophelia forbidding her love and marriage with Hamlet. Laertes says to Ophelia, “His greatness weighed, his will is not his own,/For he himself is subject to his birth. /He may not, as unvalued persons do,/Carve for himself; for on his choice depends/The safety and health of this whole state. And therefore must his choice be circumscribed/Unto the voice and yielding of that body/Whereof he is the head. ” (1. 3. 19-27). He believes that Hamlet should not have the power to marry who he wants, and Ophelia does not have the right mind to make a decision like that for herself. Hamlet’s views on women being powerless in society are much like a pet rat. Rats are very intelligent, although are viewed as gross and pointless to the animal kingdom. They are also at the bottom of the food chain as their size and their environment puts them at a disadvantage.
This can be compared to Hamlet’s feelings towards female characters, although they are just as intelligent as men, they are seen as powerless and at the bottom of the power chain in society. The female characters in Hamlet are portrayed as dependant, they seem to be unable to make their own life choices. They are under the power of men, as they are obligated to make decisions based on the decisions men make for them. Ophelia is in love with Hamlet, although she allows for other people to get involved in her decision making.
Firstly, we see that Ophelia is seeking help from her brother Laertes about her relationship and feelings towards Hamlet. It is clear that Lateres acts selfishly when saying “If with too credent ear you list his songs/ Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open/ To his unmaster’d importunity/ Fear it, Ophelia, fear it my dear sister” (1. 3. 30-34). This demonstrates that Laertes is using his power over h to trick her into thinking what he wants, not what is best for her. Laertes believes that her virginity should not be given up to someone like Hamlet and would not give up their family reputation for a fool like Hamlet.
Another example of the dependance would be how Gertrude cannot live for more than a month after her husband dies without a powerful male figure to guide her in her decisions. Hamlet says “Must i remember? Why, she would hang on him/ As if increase of appetite had grown/ By what it fed on; and yet, within a month/Let me not think on’t— Frailty, thy name is woman” (1. 2. 143-147). He is talking about his mother, and saying that she is so desperate that she has to marry her own family member. Hamlet is appalled that she can’t live without a man to guide her through her decisions, this displays her weakness.
Lastly, Ophelia allows her father to forbid her love for Hamlet. Ophelia obeys her father’s wishes when saying “No, my god lord, but as you did commany/ i did repel his letters and denied/ His access to me” (2. 2. 108-110). This demonstrates Polonius’s power over his daughter and how she obeys what her father says, putting her own feelings aside. Ophelia is pushed around a lot in the play, because the other characters know that she will do as they command demonstrating she lacks independence and bases her decisions on what the other characters tell her to do. All women in this play, use the male figure as if they are the flashlight.
They are portrayed as being dependant, as if they are unable to do or go anywhere without guidance for men, just like a flashlight (the men) provides a clear path when you are in the dark or in this case when you are scared or unsure of something. Throughout the play it is also clear that there are limited roles played by women. The lack of advice and intelligence suggested or given by a female character supports their lack of presence. Firstly, when Ophelia is seeking relationship advice in which you would predict for her to go to another female, the play was written with no motherly figure for her.
She has to discuss “Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open” (1. 3. 30-34) or her virginity and love with her brother Laertes. Furthermore, Gertrude is a very muted character, even with her own son Hamlet. She has no presence or influence on Hamlet, even during the scenes in which they are both present. Gertrude tends to leave all the discussion to Claudius and is more of a background character or a shadow to the king. For example during the play within a play, Hamlet is more concerned for the reaction of the King although, the play is more offensive and aggressively attacking his mother.
Although, after the duration of the play Gertrude concludes by saying “The lady doth protest too much, methinks” (3. 2. 222). Her reaction is left to minimal, as the reaction of the King was seen as more important. Additionally, the first motherly interaction we see between Hamlet and his Mother is during the duel towards the end of the play between Hamlet and Laertes. The Queen see that’s Hamlet is “fat and scant of breath” (5. 2. 79) so she offers him a handkerchief to fix himself. The role a female characters can be closely related to an eraser.
It is almost as if women don’t really belong, as if they were erased from society. Shakespeare has written the limited roles of women to not have a purpose in society, they are written as shadowy characters like the smudge that an eraser leaves on your page. The negative outlook of women is exhibited throughout the duration of the play. Women are constantly viewed as powerless, mute and dependant on men. Gertrude and Ophelia are seen being pushed around and weak. Overall, the women of Elsinore are seen as less worthy than men, and have very little contribution and control over their actions.