In Shakespeare's play "Hamlet," the character of Ophelia serves as an example of the damaging effects of societal expectations placed upon women. Throughout the play, Ophelia is portrayed as weak and powerless, ultimately leading to her downfall.
One of the most prominent examples of Ophelia's frailty is her subservience to the men in her life. At the beginning of the play, her father, Polonius, and her brother, Laertes, both give her strict instructions on how to behave and who to associate with. They tell her to stay away from Hamlet, whom they see as a dangerous influence, and to focus on finding a husband. Ophelia, who is obedient and dutiful, follows their commands, even though it causes her great pain to be separated from Hamlet.
Furthermore, Ophelia's lack of agency is evident in her relationships with the men in her life. She is constantly being manipulated and used by her father, who sees her as a tool for advancing his own interests. He uses her to spy on Hamlet and report back to him, showing a complete lack of regard for her own feelings and desires. Similarly, Hamlet treats her as a pawn in his own scheming, using her as a way to get back at his uncle, the king. He cruelly rejects her, causing her great emotional distress, and then later apologizes and professes his love for her, only to later accuse her of being unfaithful.
The treatment of Ophelia as a weak and powerless character ultimately leads to her tragic end. After being rejected by Hamlet and losing the support of her father and brother, she becomes mentally unstable and eventually drowns in a river. The fact that she is unable to assert her own agency and make her own choices ultimately leads to her demise.
In conclusion, Shakespeare's portrayal of Ophelia in "Hamlet" highlights the frailty and vulnerability of women in a society that values them only for their ability to marry and bear children. Her lack of agency and the constant manipulation and exploitation by the men in her life ultimately lead to her tragic end.
(PDF) “FRAILTY, THY NAME IS WOMAN”: GENDER AND POWER IN HAMLET, BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
So, his fear and insecurity that causes him to not take action towards his goals, causes him to act unnecessarily violent towards others, showing a cycle of violence created by the ideals of masculinity. In retaliation, he expresses his repressed desire of love through his unruly comments. No representation of her own character, insufficient lines to explain her own actions and thoughts, and the reduction of her only power which is her music all lead to the conclusion that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet as an anti-feminist text. . He constantly does not act, so he is associated with unmasculinity.
Frailty Thy Name Is Woman
In her moment of truth, she decides to side with her father somewhat understandable considering Hamlet's treatment of her for the previous two acts. Right before she does commit suicide the queen is also guilty of not wanting to speak to Ophelia, yet after learning of her death, Shakespeare gives her poetic diction when revealing her suicide. Morally she is "frail" because she betrayed her husband by marrying Claudius and had the indecency to do so a mere one month after King Hamlet's death: "and yet, within a month—". The presentation of women in the play as a whole is presenting the icon of women as victims. For example, Juliet Capulet appears to be a shy and innocent girl at the beginning of the play, but until the end, she showed a bravery heart ready to give up life for love.
Hamlet: Frailty Thy Name Is Woman
When Ophelia describes Hamlet's strange behaviour towards her, Polonius immediately interprets this to his convenience. Within a month, Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, She married. He even goes as far as to say that the love is incestuous. I've included a link below to get you started. In order to be viewed as masculine, men must honor their family through action, often in the form of revenge. His entire mission is to seek revenge, yet he spends time plotting the deaths of others whose ultimate goal was to help him.
Frailty Thy Name Is Woman: Hamlet’s Attitude To Women: Free Essay Example, 484 words
Ophelia has an innate desire to please others, even if it means forfeiting her own feelings, and her obedience apparently springs from this. The female characters have not only have been used by the male characters but also have portrayed as being weak-minded throughout the entire play mainly when a tragedy occurred in their lives. Ophelia would feel sympathetic and have empathy for the desperation that preceded their demise, yet an Elizabethan audience saw this as a gruesome form of murder. Unfortunately, the male regard for females was, connected with the female body. In contrast, Hamlet acts passively, giving excuses instead of killing his uncle. Thus, Hamlet feels unmasculine, because he displays his insecurity of not taking any concrete action. Hamlet has taken place in their daily language and has been used to speak out for specific worldviews.
