Comparing Hamlet 'And The Handmaid's Tale'

430 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Tragedy in hamlet shakespeare

Intro: In the play “the tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” and the story “the handmaids tale” the characters Gertrude and Serena joy share similar characteristics. Gertrude, The Queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother, recently married Claudius. Gertrude loves Hamlet deeply, but she is a shallow, weak woman who seeks affection and status more urgently than moral truth and Serena Joy: The Commander’s wife who worked in pre-Gilead days as a gospel singer then an anti-feminist activist. In Gilead, she sits at the top of the female social ladder and yet, she lives an unhappy life
Thesis: Gertrude and Serena joy share the similarity of having men dominancy over their lives and they both come from line of Superior authority: Gertrude is the queen and Serena joy is the commander’s wife. Gertrude and Serena joy both love the men in their life but not get the attention they deserve.
Body 1: .Gertrude after marrying late King Hamlet, gained the title as the Queen of Denmark in which Claudius took advantage of and married Gertrude to gain the …show more content…

Has a high ranking in the social class of women. Serena Joy is always doing something to occupy herself such as knitting and gardening. It keeps her busy for the day and keeps her occupied to not notice the actions of the Commander. Despite having freedom inside her house, Serena is restricted to only do the job of a Wife and not associate herself with the work of her husband. Serena Joy Is inactive and carefree and her actions are restricted compared to her previous life
Body 3: Gertrude: is weak and inferior as she has no power over the men in her life Serena Joy: is weak and inferior as she cannot control her own life under the male dominant society. Serena Joy lives in male-dominant society in which women have no authority whatsoever and Gertrude lives in a society where men make all the major decisions.

Show More
Related

  • Custom Shakespeare's Hamlet Essay: Hamlet and Gertrude

    1925 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare’s sinful woman in the tragedy Hamlet is named Gertrude. Wife of Claudius and mother of the prince, she is not selected by the ghost for vengeance by the protagonist. Let’s consider her story in this essay.

    Read More

  • The Slipping Slope of Sovereignty: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

    1222 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before the Middle Ages, women were societally submissive to male supremacy. As the Middle Ages progressed, one develops a sense that women sought a change in societal order. Upset that they are not able to share their beliefs due to their position, women began to become more vocal. In comparing two great poets Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare, one sees a connection in their most well known works. Chaucer's view on women, demonstrated by the “Wife of Bath’s Tale” and the Wife’s belief that all women desire sovereignty, is welcomed by William Shakespeare but not achievable by Hamlet’s female protagonists, Gertrude and Ophelia.

    Read More

  • Gertrude Character Analysis Essay

    1895 Words  | 4 Pages

    These questions prove that Gertrude is much more complex than the reader thinks initially. However, her character in the play is an enigma, shallow in depth. Gertrude seems to put on a facade of ignorance. She must protect her own interests.

    Read More

  • The Handmaids Tale Essay

    787 Words  | 2 Pages

    In any society, laws and restrictions are placed upon the individuals living in it. These regulations can not only be a determinant of how one acts, but also how one perceives themselves. One issue that is undoubtedly going to happen to an individual is unfairness concerning one of society’s laws. Even if one is innocent of actions, regulations can cause an individual to feel as if that law is creating injustice. Does an individual have a right to oppose and rebel against perceived unfairness? Or shall one simply accept the unfairness thrust upon them? In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, we meet a woman named Offred, who is a handmaid. She describes how her society is not always a positive influence towards the people living it. In connection to Offred’s opinion, in Plato’s Critio, Socrates argues that an individual needs to accept these regulations placed upon oneself. Both Socrates and Offred gives great reasoning behind their argument, but the connection found between both stories is that an individual needs to accept the terms given to them. To right against unfair regulations creates a huge controversy and can even cause injuries to a group or an individual. Society’s laws are not always positive influence however one needs to adapt life to make it more bearable. Laws are not always going to be fair and even if these laws interfere with individual needs, a person needs to corporate and find different alterations in order to survive.

    Read More

  • Comparing Pride And Prejudice And The Handmaid's Tale

    205 Words  | 1 Pages

    More than 70% of women experience some form of mental or physical abuse from the men in their life. Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen, and The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Margaret Atwood, showcase two corrupted societies. Behind the layer of typical male dominance, there is a layer of pure apprehension. This makes the female protagonists, Elizabeth and Offred, feel as though they have no way out. Both protagonists in the novels are aware of the state of their society however, they must decided whether they should keep to themselves and follow the social norm; or if they should follow their hearts and rebel against the normalization of the gender binary. Both novels succeed in bringing attention to the still relevant flaw in society

    Read More

  • Comparing The Handmaid's Tale And The Road

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    The worlds of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Road are complete opposites; One is an anarchical society where there is no societal structure while the other is a very well-structured world with a thoroughly defined hierarchy. Despite this, it could be argued that these two worlds are simultaneously also very similar due to the way they approach the topics of patriarchy, misogyny, and survival. Atwood and McCarthy accomplish this differently, but they achieve it using the same literary techniques and, despite one of the worlds being dystopian while the other is post-apocalyptic, making heavy usage of descriptive writing.

    Read More

  • Exploring Hamlet’s State of Mind

    1131 Words  | 3 Pages

    Clearly, Hamlet’s concern for the Queen, his mother, is of genuine association to the death of King Hamlet. Within this solitary thought, Hamlet realizes the severity of his mother’s actions while also attempting to rationalize her mentality so that he may understand, and perhaps, cope with the untimely nature of the Queen’s marriage to Claudius. Understandably, Hamlet is disturbed. Gertrude causes such confusion in Hamlet that throughout the play, he constantly wonders how it could be possible that events would turn out the way they did.

    Read More

  • Hamlet from a Feminist Perspective

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ouditt, Sharon. "Explaining Woman's Frailty: Feminist Readings of Gertrude." Hamlet. Ed. Peter J. Smith and Nigel Wood. Theory in Practice. Buckingham: Open UP, 1996. 83-107.

    Read More

  • Comparing Male Dominance in Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma

    3346 Words  | 7 Pages

    One aspect of this theme expresses the belief that women should not have power since it causes women to corrupt themselves and harm those around them. In Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine are prime examples of why women should not be allowed to have control. Though she is not the head of the household, Mrs. Bennet does have control because her husband would rather watch than participate in the family. This is shown when Mrs. Bennet was embarrassing the family by her transparent attempt to give Jane and Mr. Bingley more time together after every one else had left the ball, and Mr. Bennet did not try to c...

    Read More

  • Comparing The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake

    1673 Words  | 4 Pages

    Margaret Atwood’s novel Oryx and Crake describes a world very different from the one we live in today, but not too far from a possible future. The story, told from the viewpoint of Snowman, possibly the only human survivor, recounts the end of days in human history. His description, given to us as flashbacks, tells of a world where technology is power, and those who lack power are doomed to a sub-par existence. This world gone mad is reminiscent of another Atwood novel written in 1986, The Handmaid’s Tale. In this story, the world of today is gone, democracy has been eradicated, and it is the elite few who control the fate of the masses. By comparing these two novels by Atwood, one can see corresponding themes dealing with governmental control, the dangers of technology, the uses of religion, and the treatment of sexuality.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Love Vs Duty Analysis

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    In David Wroblewski’s novel, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, and the Shakespearean play, Hamlet, there is a prominent theme of choosing between love and duty. In both pieces, the dilemma of choosing between love and duty prevails in characters such as the protagonists, Edgar and Hamlet, as they plan to avenge the death of their fathers. The relations of Henry Lamb and Horatio with Edgar and Hamlet, respectively, reveal the theme of love and duty as they are both portrayed as the loyal friends of the protagonists, especially in times of need. The dilemma of love and duty is also revealed in the mothers, Trudy and Gertrude, as they become vulnerable to their need for the “love” of another man and when it comes to protecting their own sons before

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Handmaids Tale

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood, Offred was taken from her husband and child, brainwashed, and then forced into a new house where her sole purpose is to be a walking uterus. In a Brave New World by Aldus Huxley, people are made in a laboratory, no one cares about family, and everyone is high on soma. These two books are both different, but are also very similar. The main thing they have in common is that they are a dystopian society, the government controls everyone, and nobody has the freedom to do/live the way they want. However, why is it that so many authors write books like this? Where the world is controlled by terrible dictatorships, only the people higher up benefit, and the normal every day citizen is screwed? I believe that

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of Hamlet And Michael Almereyda's Hamlet

    1559 Words  | 4 Pages

    Compared to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Almereyda’s adaptation creates a new reading and highlights various elements more directly through a change in the characterization of Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother. The movie advances her position as a woman, making her a commanding and prominent figure throughout. This new reading of Gertrude from the movie reflects the changes in societal views regarding women, due to varying time periods, progressing the position of Gertrude as a woman, and exploiting ideas of incest, misogyny, and

    Read More

  • Gender Roles in Hamlet

    1513 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Frailty thy name is woman,” is the summary of the feelings towards women for the entire play. Gertrude cannot spare any time to grieve over her late husband; she must find another man to rule the kingdom. That man turns out to be her late husband's bro...

    Read More

  • Handmaid's Tale Scene Analysis

    1672 Words  | 4 Pages

    When first reading Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, it is easy to dismiss the scene where Serena Joy proposes the arrangement between Offred and Nick. The scene does not seem so important because Offred would have had the affair with Nick later in the novel anyway. However, this scene is critical to the novel because it furthers the plot and sets up for an emotional and thematic end.

    Read More

More about Comparing Hamlet 'And The Handmaid's Tale'

Open Document