Misogynistic Ideals In Shakespeare's Hamlet

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Misogynistic Ideals in Hamlet Hamlet is William Shakespeare’s longest and most studied play. The play also forms a very important part in literature. In the Shakespearean play, Hamlet, the female characters are a great deal. Hamlet, the protagonist of the play, constantly refers to the women in the play as cold, treacherous, and adulterous women. Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, is highly defamed because of the affectionate and erotic union that she has with her her brother-in-law, now her husband, since King Hamlet is dead. Gertrude is shown as an incestuous, heartless, whore. Ophelia is a woman that is personate to the character that is deeply in love with Hamlet, the son of late King Hamlet. Ophelia is willing to sacrifice everything that she…show more content…
Although she is of a higher social class, Gertrude shows very impious and immutable behavior. Initially, Hamlet starts a very potent plot by calling his mother a lusty woman. Hamlet says, “…within a month–– Let me not think on’t. / Frailty, thy name is woman!”(1.2.145-46). By Hamlet saying this, he shows that he is very disappointed at what his mother has become. Hamlet exclaims that his mother marries his uncle, now father, in a very short amount of time from his father’s bereavement. Hamlet basically calls his mother an adulterous woman by mentioning his opinion on her appetite by saying “As if increase of appetite had grown” (1.2.144). Hamlet also refers to Gertrude as a “pernicious woman” gives the idea that she can be harmful in ways (1.5.105). This type of language not only degrades the character from a woman to an element but also shows how women are referred to at the time. Later in the play, Hamlet “stands in her bedroom accusing her of wrongdoing” (Montgomery 103). By Hamlet doing that, he shows how much he despises his mother. His actions not only prove that but also show his feelings towards his mother at the time of the incident. The behavior that Hamlet shows is divergent to Gertrude’s and it makes his mother’s new swift marriage seem even more impractical. “Hamlet believes his mother's marriage to Claudius is an affront to Old King Hamlet” and he vastly condemns of the new…show more content…
Ophelia is not a royal, but a common. Ophelia is profoundly in love with Hamlet since he has shown her a lot of attention as she says “He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders / Of his affection to me” (1.3.99-100). Ophelia is naïve and does not know any better about what love really is. Laertes tells Ophelia that Hamlet was “A violet in the youth of primy nature” which leaves her in doubt of what she really feels for Hamlet. Later on, Hamlet and Ophelia have a conversation which turns very violent in the term of words. Ophelia mentions that she has some moments with him that she has been trying to deliver back to him by saying “My lord, I have remembrances of yours / That I have longèd long to redeliver. / I pray you now receive them” (3.1.95-97). Hamlet replied to this thought in an extremely rude manner by saying “…I never gave you aught” (3.1.98). At this point Ophelia is confused at the way he is acting with her. Hamlet treats her horribly, so horribly that she decides to return all of the gifts. Ophelia mentions that “Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind” (3.1.103). Hamlet makes her believe that he loves her but deep within he realizes that he does not and decides to shut it all down but it is too abrupt. Hamlet tells her to get herself to a “nunnery” or convent and then he asks “Why would you want to give birth to more sinners?” (3.1.123-24). She “seems to
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