Hamlet As Mysogynist Essay, Research Paper

Hamlet as Mysogynist

During the period of Hamlet s life recorded in the play leading up to his death, he appears to have an abundance of relatively serious issues with the vital women in his life. Although Hamlet during this period has discrepancies with just about everyone associated in his life, men or women alike. There are only two female roles in the play Hamlet, this makes interpreting whether Hamlet is a Misogynist or not somewhat difficult. The primary female role is Hamlet s mother who Hamlet usually is very close with but in recent times has developed anger towards over the lack of mourning portrayed by her over the death of her husband and Hamlet s father. Ophelia is the other female role she is a young girl whose family is acquainted Hamlet s royal family. In the past there was a sort of attraction between the two, but as that has now faded Hamlet has grown frustrated and angered with her and no longer holds remotely the same feeling towards her as he once did. Therefore through these dispositions Hamlet apparently has developed a disrespectful attitude towards these two women, which could be viewed by some as being characteristic of someone who is a misogynist. Whether this is true or not is up to the interpretation of the reader, it could be that Hamlet s consistent betrayal by the women in his life has added to the growing hatred of women through Hamlet s eyes, or that it just so happens the only two representations of women in this play happen to not be on good terms with Hamlet and he really has no distinctive hatred of women kind in general.

Throughout the beginning of the book it is apparently obvious to some that Hamlet s relationship with his mother is a little more than a proper mother-son relationship, needless to say they are and have been very close. After the recent actions of his mother marrying his uncle only two months after his father s death and Hamlet s suspicion of her being involved in the plot to kill his father, Hamlet s feeling and trust in his mother have been greatly diminished. It is these kind of actions by the women in his life that have added to his feelings of distrust in women. Hamlet quotes, frailty thy name is women (pg29-150) showing his complete frustration and disappointment towards his mother and women in general. A young man such as Hamlet will often put his mother on a pillar and use her as a comparison as to how all women are to behave. When his mother betrays him she betrays his trust in all women this effects his attitude all the more.

Hamlets love was broken and misused once again in the case between him and Ophelia, though she may have been subdued by his passionate words at one time the feeling must have faded. True love cannot be changed or affected from any outside forces especially not redirected to be used against the individuals involved in it. As it is when Ophelia complies with Poloniuses orders to stop seeing Hamlet, and later allows both Polonius and Claudius to spy on her conversation with Hamlet. These continuous betrayals do not strengthen Hamlet s opinion of women Hamlet quotes to Ophelia Get thee to a nunnery (pg131-131), Hamlet no doubt must feel some embarrassment and frustration in the failure of influencing Ophelia to care about him. In Hamlets eyes this failure could only be explained by the fact that she is a women.

Hamlet had problems with many other characters in the play as well, this was caused by many various actions of Hamlet all having to do with his apparent madness. Hamlets uncle Claudius killed his father, stole his rite to the throne, and married his mother. This although did not bring Hamlet to have any type of problems with men in general, he views these types of actions as being more of a flaw in Claudius s personal sense of morality. Also his opinion of men is not altered under the result that he was impacted much more strongly emotionally when the only two people left alive in his life that he had true feelings for betrayed him. The men in his life that he was not on good terms with Hamlet had no real connections with, his discrepancies with these men would not be considered betrayal because there was never any sense of faith between them as there was with the women in his life.

Hatred is everywhere in this play It s spread throughout all of the characters. It is true that Hamlet hates a few women, whether this makes him a misogynist is up to the interpretation of the reader. Because of his recent relationships with some of the women he knows he has the means to alter his personality to hate the general population. If he is blinded enough to stereotype a classification of people off the actions of only two individuals.