Hamlet's mother, Gertrude and his rejected lover, Ophelia are the only women represented by William Shakespeare in the play. Gertrude and Ophelia have similar and contrasting characters throughout the play ( Shakespeare, 2008). Ophelia is dependent on men. She entirely relies on Polonius. Ophelia agrees to stay away from Polonius' false sentiments and Hamlet to appease him. It means she cannot make decisions on her own. Secondly, she is deceiving. The character hides her true feelings for Hamlet, which brings a bitter end. She goes mad after Hamlet rejects her. Besides, Ophelia is loyal. Despite hiding her feelings for Hamlet being hurtful, she respects her father's orders to avoid him. Lastly, Ophelia is outspoken. In the end, she overcomes pressure from Polonius and confesses her love for Hamlet.
Like Ophelia, Gertrude is dependent on men. Claudius objectifies her to satisfy his self-interests. She marries him to benefit from the throne. Also, Gertrude is deceiving. She quickly remarries Claudius after the death of Hamlet's father raising the question of whether she truly loved him. In contrast, Gertrude is a quiet woman. She rarely opens up to Hamlet about her decision to marry Claudius. Instead, she focuses on loving the two. After keeping quiet for a while, Ophelia overcomes the pressure exerted by her family. She speaks out on loving Hamlet. Apart from that, Gertrude is seen as disloyal. She betrays Hamlet by quickly remarrying to Claudius after her husband's demise.
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The play evokes the theme or role of women in society. As evidenced by Gertrude and Ophelia, women are seen as a dependant, weak and objects to be easily manipulated by men ( Sarkar, 2016). Claudius, portrayed by his lust for power, and sexual appetite, take advantage of Gertrude after the death of her husband. After marrying her, Gertrude ultimately depends on him for survival. Similarly, Ophelia is easily manipulated by his father and brother. Besides, doubt is prevalent in the play. Gertrude embodies doubtfulness when she does show signs of mourning her husband. According to Hamlet, grieving makes her uncomfortable. Ophelia is uncertain about her feelings for Hamlet and her actions due to pressure from Polonius.
References
Sarkar, S. (2016). Shakespeare's Negative Attitude towards Women in Hamlet. The Millennium University Journal , 1 (1), 64-67.
Shakespeare, W. (2008). Hamlet . Yale University Press.
