When King Hamlet’s ghost appears he refers to Gertrude as his “most seeming-virtuous Queen.” (1.5, lines 4-6) He is expressing his belief that Gertrude had always seemed faithful, but now she has married much less of a man she has dishonoured him, and lost all his respect and trust. Even though Hamlet and his father are seeking revenge on Claudius, they continue to speak of Gertrude. In his second soliloquy we expect Hamlet to be expressing his hatred towards Claudius, however he is focusing all of his energy on this “most pernicious woman,” (1.5, line 105) who is his mother. This dis-belief at his mother’s behaviour is understandable, however, as it is so soon after his father’s death, and you would expect Gertrude to still be mourning the death of her husband that she apparently loved dearly.
One of the most famous quotes regarding women in Hamlet is “Frailty – thy name is woman.” (1.2, lines 146-147) This quote sums up the attitudes of the male characters in the play, that women are by far the weaker sex and gives us a clue as to why the men treat Gertrude and Ophelia with so little respect. In 1558, writer, John Knox described women as “weak, frail, impatient, feeble and foolish.” Emphasizing the way that women were viewed at the time Hamlet was written.
Both the women are greatly controlled by the men of the play, particularly Ophelia who is often told what to do and who has been treated as if she does not have a mind of her own all her life. When asked a question Ophelia often replies with “I think nothing,” (3.2, line 118) and when she does express an opinion it is dismissed. Polonius says “Affection? Pooh, you speak like a green girl unsifted,” (1.3, line 101) which is extremely patronizing, saying she speaks like an inexperienced and untried girl who does not know what she is talking about. Ophelia could have an out-going personality; however, she is so oppressed that we never get to see a true reflection of her character, due to the constraints of the society she is living in. We even hear Gertrude, the Queen of Denmark, saying to her husband: “I shall obey you.” By obeying the men and giving in to a passive existence Gertrude and Ophelia are living up to the label that women are the weaker sex.
The men give ‘good advice’ to both women, telling them what to do and when, Polonius tells Ophelia not to give her virginity away too easily when he uses the metaphor “set you entreatments at a higher rate then a command to parley,” (1.3, lines 122-123) where her virginity is compared to a castle under siege.
Even though Polonius is Ophelia’s father, he seems to have no respect for her, or her privacy, and rarely thinks of how she may be feeling. He reads Hamlet’s love letters out-loud to the King and uses Ophelia as bait to improve his image in front of Claudius, which is extremely self-centred and obsequious. Another quote that really stands out in ‘Hamlet’ that shows how little respect the men have for Gertrude and Ophelia is “Get thee to a nunnery.” (3.1, line 121) This is Hamlet telling Ophelia that because he can not have her, no one can, so she has to go to a nunnery, away from all other male contact. He does not ask her how she feels, and is willing to make the rest of her life miserable simply because he can not be with her. It never even occurs to Hamlet that she might be willing to move on and find someone other than him to spend the rest of her life with.
After the nunnery scene, Ophelia speaks to Polonius and we hear her opinion for the first and only time. She presents herself entirely as the victim of Hamlet’s rough treatment. She says: “I of ladies most deject and wretched, that sucked the honey of his musiked vows,” (3.1, lines 158-159) showing how Ophelia had believed in what Hamlet told her and how she feels dejected about the fact that he claims to have never loved her.
“God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another,” (3.1, lines 145-146) is Hamlet saying that women wear too much make-up and in doing so are deceiving men into thinking that they are something that they are not. He accuses Ophelia of being a typical woman and is therefore not treating her as an individual. He says: “For the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is bawd,” (3.1, lines 111-112) explaining his opinion that beautiful women are untrustworthy and insincere. Even though Hamlet accuses women of this, he is saying it in the heat of an argument so he may be exaggerating and may not be giving his true opinion. Ophelia hardly says a think back to him though, again reflecting the idea that women are frail and passive.
Throughout the play Hamlet makes reference to prostitutes, and seems to make a connection between women, sex and corruption. When Hamlet and Polonius are speaking he says: “For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion.” (2.2, lines 184-185) He uses this metaphor of a dead dog, and a pun on the word “sun,” to make the point that if the son (Hamlet) kisses the daughter (Ophelia) then she may breed, like the maggots in the dead animal. The characters of the play often refer to sex in a negative manner, and it is never described as a loving act between a couple. In Hamlet’s second soliloquy he is blaming himself, and compares himself to a slatternly woman saying that he “must like a whore, unpack my heart with words, and fall a-cursing like a very drab, a stallion.” (2.2, lines 592-594) His references to women are always negative, and he presents them as objects that men can use for sexual pleasure whenever they want.
The final point to make about the way Shakespeare presents women is the fact that Ophelia is the only character driven to suicide, and that she is one of only two women in the play. This is possible another way for Shakespeare to make his point that women are by far the weaker sex.
Audiences today would find the way that the women in Hamlet are treated extremely surprising as today women are so much more independent. Instead of being a husband’s possession, a wife is seen as an equal. Women today have the freedom to be more open-minded, and are allowed to voice opinions other than their husbands’. Women today have almost total sexual freedom as well, so the connection between women, sex and corruption would probably cause mixed reactions.
This, however, also brings me to the point that even though Shakespeare’s presentation of women is negative, so is his presentation of men. He shows the men being insensitive, selfish, oppressive and shows them treating women with very little respect.
“Frailty – thy name is woman,” no longer applies to the women of the 21st Century as there are more or less equal opportunities for men and women now, and everyone has the same education and job opportunities no matter what sex you may be. I think that this quote sums up Shakespeare’s overall presentation of women and the treatment of Gertrude and Ophelia shows us how women were oppressed, and often seen as objects rather than human beings.
Rebecca Leaf
(1,594 Words.)
