How Does Ophelia Present Misogyny In Hamlet

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Misogyny holds the title of the oldest prejudice, and its adverse force blemishes countless pieces of literature. Misogyny and the prejudice against femininity presents itself as an issue during the renowned tale of Hamlet. The potential wife of Hamlet, Ophelia, is subject to struggles from her gender throughout the play. Consequently, Ophelia rests wholly at the mercy of male figures due to the potent grip of the patriarchy, and whittling her features down to a stereotype exposes her character to diminution. To begin, the patriarchy is set up in order to place males as dominant figures. The state of Denmark is a patriarchal government in which kings make the authoritative decisions: Women ornamentally sit on the sidelines. The drive to assert dominance over women harms Ophelia as the plot …show more content…

Blatant disrespect encompasses Ophelia simply because of her gender. Hamlet’s inapt, sexual comments during the third act display Ophelia’s treatment: “That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs” (III.ii.108). The comment displays that Hamlet sees women as sexual beings, and he has little consideration for how rude the comment truly is. He demeans Ophelia to a young woman who holds sexuality. Along Hamlet’s journey to convince others of his insanity, he uses Ophelia as a chess piece. Ophelia encounters Hamlet acting oddly in the rising action: “At last, a little shaking of mine arm and thrice his head thus waving up and down, he raised a sigh so piteous and profound” (II.i.92-94). Due to his antic disposition, Hamlet enters Ophelia’s room and pretends to be delirious. The prince’s confusing behavior scares Ophelia, and the behavior wounds Ophelia’s mental state. The damage to Ophelia does not matter to Hamlet, because he believes his behavior to be an integral part of his scheme. Disrespect is undeniably present in Hamlet’s treatment of his potential

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