Hamlet's Women

Paper Summary:

This paper is based on Hamlet's treatment of the women in his life. It discusses the roles Ophelia and his mother Gertrude play in his life and how their relationships affect him. The writer compares and contrasts Hamlet's relationships with Ophelia and Gertrude in order to display how they ultimately affect his actions and personality.

From the Paper:

"Shattered by his mother's repugnant decision to marry Claudius so soon after her husband's death, Hamlet becomes extremely cynical, even neurotic, about women in general, showing a particular obsession with what he perceives to be a connection between female sexuality and moral corruption. He urges Ophelia to go to a nunnery rather than experience the corruptions of sexuality and exclaims of Gertrude, "Frailty, thy name is woman" (1.2.146). At first glance, this quote seems just to be calling his mother fragile. If one looks deeper into the meaning though, he will realize that Hamlet is saying that his mother was not strong enough to resist marrying again. "A little month; or ere those shoes were old. With which she followed my poor father's body". married with mine uncle." (1.2.147-151) He scorns Gertrude because he is disgusted that she married his uncle, thinks that she married too soon after his father's death, and believes that she has ruined his chances of love with Ophelia as a result of her immediate and corrupt incestuous marriage. The swift marriage of Gertrude and Claudius suggests an ongoing affair and disloyalty to Hamlet's father. Also, because Ophelia is ignoring him and rejecting his love, Hamlet believes she could easily deceive and betray him like his mother. The swift marriage of the two suggests an ongoing affair and disloyalty to Hamlet's father. Hamlet, upon seeing how his own mother could be capable of such betrayal to her husband, now fears that all women are capable of the same thing. Ophelia, already ignoring him and rejecting his love, could as easily fool and betray him."

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