Misogyny in "Hamlet"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how, within nearly all of the historical and current critical scholarship of Shakespeare's "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark", there is some emphasis on the misogynistic tendencies of the male characters, and specifically of Hamlet himself. It looks at how Prince Hamlet holds a special kind of prejudice against women and how he is given to the misogyny of a young man who has been mortally betrayed by his mother and, to some degree, his whole society. It attempts to show how his desperation and his anger toward the whole societal standard of gaining through marriage is evident throughout the work, and how title, power, and wealth are gained and exchanged through a system of intrigue that is determined through marriage, lust, and even murder.

From the Paper:

"It goes without saying that Hamlet feels inextricably connected to his treacherous mother. He is painfully aware of his own love for her and his desire to please her and at the same time is convinced, more boldly that she deserves only betrayal and hatred, in kind. He rejects her sexual advances through clenched teeth, angry with himself for wishing for the comfort of her body/approval/alliance, and burned by her chameleon nature. As he is aware that if he does not ally with her she will offer herself to the next person available to shield her from her crimes. He foretells his own death, as he contends with his connection to the treachery of his mother towards his father."

More papers on Misogyny in "Hamlet":

• Analytical Essay # 131175 : "Misogynistic Behaviors in 'Hamlet'"
• Analytical Essay # 117190 : "The Role of Women in Hamlet"

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