Earlier in Act 1, Laertes warns Ophelia about Hamlets love, describing it almost as youthful infatuation. He explains to her that as Hamlet is a prince he cannot choose his own wife and must marry in the interest of the state. Again, this type of advice and awareness of status would not be criticised by a modern day audience. Laertes’ approach is indeed blunt, and Ophelia is told directly not to be so foolish as to trust the Prince outright. Ophelia says that she will keep his advice as a “watchman” close to her heart “I shall th’effect of this good lesson keep as a watchman to my heart”. She hints to him that he should not give her advice that he does not follow himself. “show me the steep and thorny way to heaven”, “himself the primrose path of dalliance treads”.
Perhaps today a sister would have not been so kind to such interference but Laertes’ hypocritical attitude was normal in the Elizabethan times. In cautioning her, he definitely indicates that he is dominant in the relationship of the brother and sister. However, again, he acts for her own good as he sees it. Indeed, Both her father and brother believe that it is their duty and right to tell her how she is to behave in her life. At the same time, she benefits from this relationship, as clearly her father and brother are acting to protect her. Overall this presents Ophelia as easily lead, and lacking strong will. Again this would be thought of as typical in Elizabethan times. “For most critics of Shakespeare, Ophelia has been an insignificant minor character in the play, touching in her weakness and madness but chiefly interesting, of course, in what she tells us about Hamlet” (Elaine Showaller). This view backs up the opinion that female characters are merely driving factors of the play. They aid us in finding out more about the male characters. Women were generally presented this way, to make the men look stronger and more dominant.
Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet is of paramount importance in our discussion of women. There is a significant link between Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet and her language. Ophelia seems to constantly refer to Hamlet as “my lord”, and converses formally and with respect. This can be thought to be because of her social position and her gender, both making her less important than Hamlet. This would particularly be present in the Elizabethan times. Due to more gender equality, a modern day audience would not accept this as a reason. When Hamlet presents her with sexual puns, her naïve, typical attitude for a woman in the Elizabethan times is almost an obvious contrast to his intelligence, quick-witted innuendos and humour. There is an example of this in Act 3 scene 2, when Hamlet says, “That’s a fair thought to lie between maid’s legs”, and Ophelia replies with “what is my lord”. This may be linked back to the fact that the play was written in the Elizabethan times, as Ophelia’s response may be because she is deliberately attempting to be coy and flirtatious towards Hamlet. Hamlet belittles Ophelia in Act 3 scene 1 by abusing her and all women. Saying that no one should marry “I say that we have no mo marriages”. He repeatedly orders her to a nunnery “Get to the nunnery, go”. He continues to tell her that he once loved her and then denies it by saying “I loved you not”. He shows his dominance in the relationship however, his conversation with Ophelia verges on cruelty. Overall, Ophelia’s character can be thought of as weak, feeble and impressionable. There is no real attempt at resistance. “I shall obey”, except to try and defend Hamlet’s love for her. If this play were written today, most writers would show women as stronger and more independent, resisting gender inequalities, thus reflecting woman in society today.
The other female character in ‘Hamlet’ is Gertrude. Shakespeare presents Gertrude as a woman with a considerable amount of power and intelligence. However, even as Queen and mother, Gertrude similar to Ophelia, seems to find herself dominated by the male characters. Like Ophelia, Gertrude is also dominated by Hamlet. However, it must be noticed that unlike Ophelia’s character, this domination and control does not affect Gertrude mentally, nor does it affect her actions. In addition, although his words to her are cruel, he holds a great deal of respect for her calling her Mother and “good lady”. In the ‘closet scene’ Hamlet finally confronts his mother and we are able gain insight into their relationship. Gertrude attempts a motherly almost formal tone with Hamlet, scolding him for his disrespectful behaviour towards Claudius “Hamlet, you have thy father much offended”. However, Hamlet instantaneously dominates the conversation refusing to let his mother scold him whilst criticising her for her betrayal of his father King Hamlet “Mother you have my father much offended”. He almost intends to explain to her how she has done this “You are the Queen, your husbands brothers wife”. He also continues to extend his feeling to all woman stating “frailty thy name is woman” possible to further explore Gertrude’s relationship with Hamlet. As continued in Act 3 scene 4, Hamlet goes into additional detail of what he believes to be his mother’s sexual crime. He says, “but to live in the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, stewed in corruption”. The imagery used conveys a sexual relationship between Hamlet and his mother. Due to Shakespeare’s use of minimal stage directions throughout the play, many actions and features of the characters are almost left uncertain, allowing directors to manipulate this to present other views. Many directors such as Zefferelli have done this; in his version of ‘Hamlet’, Gertrude kisses her son passionately, to silence him. Modern critics suggest that ‘this implies a Oedipus complex’. In addition, Shakespeare may have deliberately presented the two on the bed, or in the bedroom, to convey a sexual relationship.
The aspect of incest and incestuous desire is apparent within the relationships of all the female characters. It may infer the opinions about women presented by Shakespeare, which are appreciated and understood by an Elizabethan audience. The strongest implication of incest is revealed in the relationship of Hamlet and Gertrude. It concerns Hamlet's fixation on Gertrude's sex life with Claudius. A subtle aspect of incestuous desire may be noticed in the relationship between Laertes and Ophelia. When carefully examining Laertes’ dialogs, he sometimes suggests sexual terms when he speaks to her. Another scene this can be inferred from is at her funeral when leaps into her grave to hold her in his arms. I think the most obvious but least sordid, is the relationship shared between Gertrude and her first husband’s brother Claudius. Gertrude’s relationship with Claudius differs slightly from a typical relationship in the Elizabethan times. Gertrude can be described as a woman of great intelligence. She had been Queen for a long time. We can infer the characteristic of intelligence as King Claudius asks her advice on matters, “Do you think ‘tis this?”.
Similarly to an Elizabethan audience, a modern day audience may have various emotions towards the character of Gertrude, which vary from disliking her, due to their views on incest, to feeling sympathetic towards her, due to her being dominated. However it must be considered that although stigma is still attached to the aspect of incest, a modern day audience may be slightly more lenient towards the matter. The factor of Gertrude marrying her brother’s husband may be interpreted in two main ways. In a stereotypical view of woman in the Elizabethan times, it would have been interpreted that Gertrude married Claudius due to her lack of independence, as a woman in the Elizabethan period, she could not successfully and happily live her life without a man by her side. However it may also be understood that Gertrude may have made the decision to marry Claudius with the intention of retaining her power as queen. Gertrude’s involvement in the killing of King Hamlet may also be thought of as a factor. These interpretations would be more likely to be deduced by a modern day audience. It would reject the idea that women were dense and feeble, but also aware and interested in and gaining status and power. I also believe that the appearance of a ghost has a significant part in the views on women in the Elizabethan times. There are two views to explain why the ghost came to his son Hamlet rather than his wife Gertrude. One involves Gertrude having a part in the murder, and the other explanation, more believable after studying the play is the woman were not thought to be strong enough to deal with this news and that no action or revenge could possibly be taken by them.
The phase of madness is also significant to the portrayal of woman in not only Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ but also ‘Macbeth’, in which it is also a female character of lady Macbeth whom goes mad. Madness being attracted to woman and therefore being thought of as a weakness in the female mind, this can be seen to be the view of society in the Elizabethan times. However, Ophelia’s madness shows a weakness that Gertrude did not have, a modern day audience would pick up on this before criticising the weakness of all female characters. Hamlet is the most obvious of the many factors, which explain what lead to Ophelia’s madness and overall death. Although Hamlet had before his fathers’ death, honestly told Ophelia that he would wed her, the death of his father changed him. However, from Ophelia’s point of view, the man she loves, Hamlet, goes mad and rejects her, denying ever loved her. The dishonestly and contradictions presented by both Hamlet and her family leave her unable to comply with their wills and her social position as a woman mean that she cannot assert her own. Adding to her sorrow, her father dies leaving her with no sense of familiarity as her brother is away in France. This leaves her with no restraints leading her to madness. This is interesting as, with unsure intentions, Gertrude wasted not time grieving for her dead husband. In contrast, Ophelia seemed to lapse in to a state of madness as a result of her fathers death and the loss of her love Hamlet. Ophelia’s death may be described as significant when considering the portrayal of woman. I think that her death was not simple suicide, but the act of a woman, so used to being dominated by woman that when all the males in her life were no longer present, she did not know what to do with her life. At the beginning of Act 5, the gravediggers discuss Ophelia’s death, interestingly; this presents a negative view of Ophelia, no mention is given of her sorrows or what lead her to madness or even that she has gone mad. They say that as they believe she has committed suicide, if she was not a gentlewoman of a high rank she would not be given a Christian burial. When hamlet sees her being buried his true emotions are exposed and he reveals that he did love her, “I loved Ophelia, forty thousand brothers could not, will all their quanity of love make up my sum”
Gertrude’s death is extremely significant, and it can be thought that Shakespeare purposely created this scene to present the position of woman and how they were stereotyped in an Elizabethan society. In the very last scene of the last act of the play, for the first time in the play, Gertrude disagrees with her husbands, almost refusing to abbey his orders. After he tells her not to drink from the cup she responds with “I will my lord, I pray you pardon me”, showing even though she doesn’t follow his order she shows the greatest respect for him, however, this leads to her death. It is interesting though that before she dies she feels she must explain how to Hamlet “the drink the drink, I am poisoned”
In conclusion, I think Shakespeare has presented woman as the weaker sex and shown them to hide any dominating characteristics that they may have. If we were to consider this play in context with Elizabethan times, it becomes obvious to the reader that Shakespeare has presented this view to fit in with a Elizabethan audiences thinking and stereotypes, any other portrayal of woman would be thought of as abnormal to them. However, it is not possible to clearly state that a modern day audience would not have the same responses. I think that Gertrude’s relationships, how she is treated by Hamlet, and indeed her sexual relationship with Hamlet would be thought of as outrageous by both audiences. As the incestuous desire between Ophelia and Laertes is subtle, it would not be looked at with disgust, and may dismiss it as brotherly love. I think that due to the language Elizabethan audiences would be more likely to pick up on the sexual terms. There are many areas, which I have explored in which Shakespeare presents women as weak and submissive. However, I think that most characteristics of Ophelia and Gertrude within the play are a mere reflection of women in the Elizabethan times. If this were not true, the play would be mocking woman of the Elizabethan times, and therefore watched more in terms of a comedy.