Hamlet's Treatment Of Women In Hamlet Essay

Hamlet’s treatment of the women in the play is an important factor of his personality and the era the play was written in. Hamlet treats his love, Ophelia and his mother, Gertrude with little respect. I believe that the anger Hamlet subjects to Ophelia is brought on by his feelings about his mother, Gertrude. Gertrude marries Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, after Hamlet’s father is killed. Hamlet feels resent towards his mother for marrying Claudius. William Shakespeare writes the character Hamlet to be a complicated character who treats the women of the play according to his beliefs on the level of respect women deserve. I believe that although Hamlet is fond of Ophelia, he keeps his focus on the pain his mother and Claudius have caused him. Hamlet treats his love Ophelia with harsh scorn and hateful remarks because the impact his mother’s actions have had on his view of how women should be perceived. Women are seen as not to be trusted and weak to Hamlet. The audience questions Hamlet’s true feelings for Ophelia because of the way he approaches her. A trap was set by Ophelia’s father Polonius and Claudius to find out why Hamlet
Ophelia is left scorned by Hamlet’s cruel words saying that if she were to have a child and that child be born a sinner it would be her fault. Hamlet’s opinions on how women should be treated is set by his mother’s effect on him. Shakespeare makes Hamlet’s love for Ophelia clear to the reader by allowing Hamlet to say “I loved Ophelia, Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum.” (V.i.262) Although Hamlet does have a deep love for Ophelia he is blinded by the thought that all women must be fraudulent and dishonest. The women in “Hamlet” are controlled by the male figures and seen as sinners from birth. Hamlet’s cruelty towards his love Ophelia stems from Gertrude’s treatment towards Hamlet growing