Deep under the dark casted shadows of men in Hamlet, there are bright and resilient women in the play. Women who are not weak, frail, or scared throughout the play. These women are Ophelia and Gertrude. Both characters are the bearers of power and knowledge in the play that keep men and society sane throughout. Though it is man’s insanity that overpowers their qualities and ultimately influences Ophelia’s and Gertrude’s behavior, leading to diminish the minds, bodies, and souls of these women. As Ophelia and Gertrude act as a source of power and knowledge under the influence of men, this leads to the progressive decaying of their identities.
The traits that Ophelia and Gertrude carry are what men in Hamlet need: power and knowledge. It is
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Their ability to maintain men from insanity is entirely explicit through their actions. Ophelia’s power of love is what moves Hamlet and Laertes in the play to act. As Ophelia hands the “perfume lost” love letters to Hamlet, he attempts to deceive her by saying he “did love [her] once,” then later adds on to it saying he “loved [her] not,” (3.1.108-129). This was a way for Hamlet to maintain his broken heart and act on to his insanity. Unknowingly, Hamlet’s heart continuously shatters when he sees Ophelia’s body in the grave. He mentions that “[he loves] Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers / Could not with all their quantity of love / Make up [his] sum,” (5.1.28-287). The use of hyperbole helps him exaggerate his love towards Ophelia. The King adds on saying that “[Hamlet] is mad,” (5.1.288). Hamlet’s madness is not only because of his insanity, but as well, his loss of a loving relationship with Ophelia. Similarly, when Laertes witnesses Ophelia’s insanity, he states that if she “hadst [..] wits, and didst persuade revenge, / it could not move thus,” (4.5.192-193). Laertes’ claims that her behavior can move him …show more content…
This emotional pain that men have taken harm off, has made women become lost is this chaotic turned society. Ophelia’s speaks to Hamlet in 32 lines in act 3, scene 1, though in their next encounter she speaks to him with 19 lines in Act 3, scene 2. This lack of communication shows the drastic change and pain that Hamlet has caused towards Ophelia. Gertrude voices out her pain as she repeatedly tells Hamlet to “speak no more,” (3.4.99/107). Which in the end ‘hast cleft [her] heart in twain,” (3.4.145). Showing that these words have left women hurt by their emotions. Telling that she is in pain as “[the] words like daggers, [entering] in her ears,” (3.4.107-108). Gertrude was verbal about her pain, whilst in comparison Ophelia remains silent. This results into the decaying of their identities. After receiving the mistreatment from men both Ophelia and Gertrude face their poisonous deaths. Ophelia’s “poison of deep grief,” shows her sadness of the outcome that men have done towards her, leaving her “divided from herself and her fair judgement,” (4.5.80-92). This results into “her garments, […] / pulling [her] from her melodious lay / To muddy death,” (4.7.206-208). This idea of the garments pulling Ophelia down, shows how much pressure was weighing on her throughout the play, leading to her death. As for
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, women are oversexualized, and are given no role other than to be the item of a man’s desire. The promiscuity of the only two women in the play, Gertrude and Ophelia, detracts from their power and integrity, and allows Hamlet a certain amount of control over them. Gertrude’s sexual lifestyle is often mentioned by her son, Hamlet, and Hamlet uses his knowledge of Gertrude’s sexuality as a means to criticize her. Ophelia’s sexuality initially appears to be controlled by Laertes and Polonius, and Hamlet takes advantage of the naive image that she is required to keep. However, in her later madness, Ophelia taints this image by revealing that her innocence is feigned. By exposing the sexual natures of both Gertrude and Ophelia, Hamlet strips these women of any influence they may have had, and damages their once-honourable names.
Hamlet’s internal struggle throughout the play is caused by the murder of his father and the betrayal of his mother. What we see expressed in this exchange between Hamlet and Ophelia is the result of this trauma: Hamlet’s loss of belief in Truth. The crimes committed against his father breaks two fundamental laws in Hamlet’s world. In Hamlet’s mental model of reality the fraternal bond between his father and his uncle is sacred and unbreakable, as is the marriage oath made between his father and mother. So when both of these infallible oaths are broken at the same time, with his uncle killing his brother and then marrying his newly widowed mother, Hamlet’s mental model
Hamlet shows much anger and disrespect to the women in his life. Ophelia’s believing her father’s words breaks Hamlets heart, being the reason for his treatment towards not just her but his mother. Ophelia
Melancholy, grief, and madness pervade Shakespeare's great tragedy, Hamlet. The emotional maladies presented within Hamlet, not only allow the audience to sympathize with prince Hamlet, but also with the tragic lady Ophelia as well. It is Ophelia who suffers at her lover's discretion because of decisions she was obligated to make on behalf of her weak societal position.
To capture our sympathy, Ophelia goes through a transformation unlike any other character in Hamlet. She is abandoned by everyone she holds dear; her father Polonius, her brother Laertes, and Hamlet, her lover. And yet Ophelia becomes tangled in a web of madness when her loyalty is torn between Polonius and Hamlet. Most horrible of all is Ophelia's suicide-death. The emotion is evokes, coupled with the above points shows that Shakespeare's intentions was to make Ophelia, a minor character in terms of the number of lines assigned to her, into a memorable character evoking the most sympathy.
Two of Ophelia’s difficulties arise from her father and brother. They believe that Hamlet is using her to take her virginity and throw it away because Ophelia will never be his wife. Her heart believes that Hamlet loves her although he promises he never has (“Hamlet” 1). Hamlet: “Ay, truly, for the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty can translate beauty into his likeness. This was sometime a paradox, but not the time gives it proof. I did love you once.” Ophelia: “Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.” Hamlet: “You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock ...
Ophelia is a perfect example of how the poison of revenge of the kingdom of Elsinore does not only affect the person committing these acts, and as the victim, but the innocent bystanders as well. Originally Ophelia had nothing to do with King Hamlet’s unjust death, but her relationship and involvement with Hamlet, her father, and Claudius and Gertrude is enough to make her a lunatic and at last her deplorable death. Shakespeare shows Ophelia’s heartbreaking downfall in her speeches after her father’s passing “There’s/ rue for you, and here’s some for me.../Oh, you must wear your rue with a difference.—There’s a daisy. I would/ give you some violets, but they withered all when/ my father died. They say he made a good end” (Hamlet: IV.v.51). It is clear that the corruption in the kingdom causes Ophelia to become insane. She cannot cope with or overcome her father’s unfortunate death because it was committed by her love, Hamlet. As Ophelia becomes insane due to her father’s death, she is also affected by Hamlet’s treatment of her. Ophelia wants to trust Hamlet and does not understand his antic disposition, but still tries to be loyal to him. However, the way Hamlet treats Ophelias contributes to her insanity and is arguably the most recognizable cause of her misfortune “Get thee to a nunnery,/...Or, if thou wilt needs marry,/ marry a fool,
Culturally, women have been expected to be soft spoken, gentle, delicate flowers. They should not question a man's opinion or go against their will. Ophelia, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is an example of a young naive girl who faces the dangers that come from only following what others want, and not thinking for herself. The men in this play use her for their own benefit and she suffers the repercussions, which leads her to madness and “accidental” death.
In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare developed the story of prince Hamlet, and the murder of his father by the king's brother, Claudius. Hamlet reacted to this event with an internal battle that harmed everyone around him. Ophelia was the character most greatly impacted by Hamlet's feigned and real madness - she first lost her father, her sanity, and then her life. Ophelia, obedient, weak-willed, and no feminist role model, deserves the most pity of any character in the play.
The story of Hamlet is a morbid tale of tragedy, commitment, and manipulation; this is especially evident within the character of Ophelia. Throughout the play, Ophelia is torn between obeying and following the different commitments that she has to men in her life. She is constantly torn between the choice of obeying the decisions and wishes of her family or that of Hamlet. She is a constant subject of manipulation and brain washing from both her father and brother. Ophelia is not only subject to the torture of others using her for their intentions but she is also susceptible to abuse from Hamlet. Both her father and her brother believe that Hamlet is using her to achieve his own personal goals.
William Shakespeare incorporates many themes and ideas into his play, Hamlet. Of the multiple important ideas, one potentially overlooked is the role of women. Only two of the characters in the play are female. Their lines are scarce, but hold huge importance in relation to the progression and plot of the play. Ophelia, the implied lover of Prince Hamlet, and Queen Gertrude, his mother, do not appear significant, but their actions and characters allow for other events to unfold. Gertrude and Ophelia are manipulated and belittled. In their weak will, they end up betraying Hamlet. Observing their manipulation by other people, Hamlet is able to justify and go through with his actions.
Hamlet put pressure on Ophelia by expecting her to surpass his mother's shortcomings and be an epitome of womankind. He searched her innocent face for some sign of loving truth that might restore his faith in her. He took her mute terror for a sign of her guilt and found her to be a false person, like his mother. In his letter to her, he addressed the letter to "the most beautified Ophelia" and he terminated the letter with "I love thee best, O most best, believe it" (II, ii). He used the word "beautified" to display a sincere tribute, and it is apparent he still loves her. His attempts to win her affection are not triumphant. Ophelia is still too much under the influence of her father to question his wisdom or authority, and she has no mind of her own to understand how much she has made her lover suffer. No matter how much it pained her to not see Hamlet, all she could see in his present behavior is the madness that terrified her.
In the play “Hamlet,” Gertrude and Ophelia share similarities and they are also contrasting characters. Gertrude, the mother of Hamlet, is a loving, honorable, protective mother. Ophelia, Hamlet’s love interest, is young, foolish, and underestimated. One of the main stances, to which they both contrast, is their love for Hamlet.
Shakespeare shows how the women characters are not strong minded, but shows how their love and deception towards the male characters leads them to their behavior. Lead to their own demises due to the flaws such as dependence they have. The male characters bossed the women around and the women did as they were told. Shakespeare used Gertrude and Ophelia to show how the men seemed to do as they wished and women were forced to follow. It provides the power that the male towards the woman. The dependence of women on men may have traditionally been a factor in their lives; however, in today's ever-changing society, women have become more and more independent to overcome circumstances such as these. Not only were the women manipulated by the male characters, but they were also controlled by their beloved ones.
For many years in the past women played a small role socially, economically, and politically. As a result of this many works in literature were reflective of this diminutive role of women. In Elizabethan theatres small boys dressed and played the roles of women. In contrast to this trend, in Shakespeare's Hamlet the women in the play are driving factors for the actions of many other characters. Both Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, and Ophelia, Hamlet's love, affected many of the decisions and actions done by Hamlet.