Gertrude And Ophelia's Treatment Of Women In Hamlet

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A woman’s role in Hamlet is victimized and manipulated by all men during the extensive time period where segregation between a woman and man’s role were both prominent and ruling. The only two female characters in Hamlet happen to be Gertrude and Ophelia, both deeply loyal and valuable, but are followers that supersede to the patriarchy of the kingdom. One’s own emotions are unable to be brought to the surface due to the fact that they are submersed under constant pressure to fulfill the job of satisfying man and nothing more. Gertrudes position as queen allows some leniency for power, but her murderous second husband Claudius remains king and in charge of the kingdom, which includes manipulation of Gertrude. Ophelia is surrounded by guards and her father Polonius who controls her every move and manipulates her to spy on Hamlet, her own unknown lover. Both Gertrude and Ophelia are unable to have a voice among the throngs of men in the play and are suppressed till their deaths along with all other women …show more content…

Gertrude holds this position in a patriarchal society and is depicted as sensuous and incestuous with no “well behaved woman features among her contemporaries” (Mesut, “Ophelia and Gertrude: Victimized Women in Hamlet”), due to marrying her first husband's brother. This action goes against Hamlet’s morals, and therefore she is wrongdoing because a man does not like her actions and any action must be controlled by the male sex. Hamlet blames Gertrude for this act but also continues to confide in her about seeing a depriving ghost of his father, yet still batters her with utterances of sleeping around and veering from the assumed society position of obedience. Due to the immoral standards of 17th century societies Gertrude is victimized by every man under her

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