Hamlet's Women

His ideas about her being a good pure Queen are proved false as she turns her back on her husband and marries his brother. This bothers Hamlet before he discovers his father was murdered. “Thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul, And there I see such black and grained spots, As will not leave their tinct” (79-81) Gertrude admits that incest with her husband’s brother has blackened her soul and will forever haunt her existence. Her son’s words have struck her and she realizes what a horrible sin she has committed. However, it seems she says this to appease Hamlet as though her future actions do not show that she is remorseful.

Hamlet, despite being the hero of the tragedy, commits various actions that would consider him as a villainous character. When he learns of his fathers death, he acts mad and possibly even becomes truly mad. It prompts him to mistreat those around him—specifically important women in his life, his girlfriend Ophelia and his mother Gertrude. Firstly, when Hamlet is acting mad, he does not inform Ophelia of it, and treats her poorly. For instance, when Hamlet states, “Get thee to a nunnery.

Hamlet not only regards the world with pessimism, but he also has suicidal feelings. Hamlet displays thoughts of self that questions the worth of living. The foremost cause for his exasperation and aggravation is the fact that his mother and his uncle, Claudius immediately got married right after his father?s death. His mother's actions seem to be what repulses Hamlet most as he yells, "frailty thy name is woman!" (1.2.146).

After this I believe hamlets madness to grow, he his blinded by bitterness and anger towards his uncle so much that he loses sight compassion for life and love. Hamlet truly loved Ophelia, In my eyes, and I do believe that if his mind was not clouded with anger, he would’ve done nothing to ever harm her. Hamlet without even realizing, because of his insanity used Ophelia as a release for his anger, and eventually drove her mad. He basically tortured Ophelia without even knowing, not only by the progression of anger and rejection towards her, but also by killing her own father. The killing of Polonius, I believe to be Hamlet’s peak of insanity, the fact that he killed a man without even knowing who it was nor caring, I have to say is insanity at its best.

Hamlet is appalled and angry that his mother has committed incest, a sin, and less than two mont... ... middle of paper ... ...lled in him the seeds of hatred for all women, which he takes out on Ophelia. Hamlet’s relationship with his mother reflects how he will treat other women in his life. Therefore, Hamlet’s anger and contempt towards his mother fuels his harshness towards all women, including Ophelia. Hamlet treats the women in his life with bitterness, whether justified or not because Gertrude and Ophelia are regarded as submissive and the epitome of the weak women during this time in the seventeenth century. Shakespeare conveys that the only way a woman can be trustworthy is if she is chaste and pious because otherwise, women are the source of evil and bestial lust.

Hamlet’s oppression of women was a result of his mother’s action to remarry with his uncle and this causes Hamlet to despise and loath women. Though Hamlet has known these women before the death of his father, he is so wrapped up in revenge that he cannot treat them fairly. Hamlet insulted Gertrude by yelling out, “frailty, thy name is woman!” (1.2.150) When Hamlet talks about frailty, he is talking about weakness. Gertrude is the epitome of weakness to Hamlet because of her foolish act of remarrying which Hamlet views as a

Both females have heavily contributed to the misogyny Hamlet develops. Ophelia and Gertrude disappoint Hamlet which leads him to become a misogynist which contributes to the death of both female characters at the end of the novel. Hamlet considers both Gertrude and Ophelia to be sinful women due to the loss and gain of love throughout their lives. Since learning about the truth regarding the death of his father, Hamlet holds a grudge against him Gertrude. Hamlet blames Gertrude's incestous act for the death of his father.

Hamlet doles Gertrude a rather bruising blow for a mother to take, saying she has “Stew’d in corruption,” (Act 3, scene 4, p.74) “In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed” (Act 3, scene 4, p.74). Hamlet punishes Gertrude with his words so severely the ghost eventually appears again to command Hamlet to “step between [Gertrude] and her fighting soul” (Act 3, scene 4, p. 75) because he has taken the slander further than condoned, even for her unfaithfulness toward her dead husband. Not only has Hamlet disregarded his queen, but he has also unceremoniously disrespected his mother as an elder and as his parent when, as his parent, she has only ever looked out for his well being. At the first sign of his madness and possible unhappiness, Gertrude called in the cavalry, sending for Guildenstern and Rosencrantz “instantly to visit/ [her] too much changed son” Gertrude (Act 2, scene 2, p.34) rather than allow Hamlet to suffer a second longer. Regardless of Gertrude’s insignificant wrong doings, Claudius has performed many worse: murder, incest, and conspiring murder all for a crown and alleged love; yet, Hamlet has done worse.

For instance, Hamlet insults himself by comparing himself to a woman. After Hamlet complaining about how quickly others got over the death of his father, Claudius tries to get Hamlet to join in the merriment of his wedding by advising Hamlet: “Tis sweet and commendable … to give these mourning duties to your father but … tis unmanly grief” (Shakespeare 1.2.87-94). After reflecting on this in one of his many speeches about his flaws, Hamlet proclaims “Fragility, thy name is woman” (1.2.146). Hamlet compares his moment of weakness to women because he thinks all women are weak and by not getting over his father’s death so is he. Not only does Hamlet insult himself a woman but he also insults others in the same manner.

Hamlet has upset his mother by incriminating Claudius and insisting that her marriage is incest. Gertrude even says, Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue (Act 3 Scene 4. 10). This is in replication to Hamlet telling his mother that she is disrespecting King Hamlet (Act 3 Scene 3.9). All this that has occurred verbalizes volumes to Hamlet losing his sanity due to his recollection of the loss of his