Essay Outline For Hamlet
Critical Analysis of Hamlet’s Hate towards Women in, ‘Hamlet’by Shakespeare
Shakespeare portrays Hamlet’s rage towards women as having originated from his mother’s betrayal towards his father. His mother remarried within one month after his father’s death. Hamlet expresses the rage to Ophelia, his lover, whom he seduces, then changes his mind and links her to evil women. The hatred he develops towards his mother’s behavior informs how he treats Ophelia and how he addresses his mother. This is further evident in his interaction with his father’s ghost, who tries to calm him, but he still insists on his point on his mother’s misconduct.
Shakespeare portrays Hamlet as a weak character who expresses bitterness towards women that he interacts with. His mother, Gertrude, informs this character of Hamlet by betraying Hamlet’s father upon his death. Hamlet lived in a patriarchal society, and the behavior of his mother that disgusted him was unacceptable. His mother’s remarriage to King Claudius immediately after her husband’s death was contrary to the societal expectation that women would mourn over an extended period. Additionally, by stating, “Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,” Claudius flaunts the new marriage publicly, yet Hamlet idolizes his late father and believes that his mother could not have remarried “within a month.”
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By stating, “frailty the name is woman,” Hamlet expresses his rejection towards women as he believes that women are easily corrupted. He further states that his mother rushed “to incestuous sheets,” which indicates the extent of hate he develops towards his “wicked” mother. Ophelia also behaves inappropriately according to the patriarchal society. Hamlet is disinterested in her, as Polonius and Laertes tell her in the third scene of the first act. This occurs over the period that Hamlet woes Ophelia while expressions of Polonius who says that their passion is a “blaze” that will be brief. This turns true when Hamlet eventually gets mad at Ophelia.
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Hamlet rejects Ophelia and even states, “you cannot call it love,” as he believes that women are inherently evil and can corrupt men as wise men know what “monster” women can make of them. Hamlet relates Ophelia to her mother, who he believes corrupted Claudius to disrespect his father. The conversation between Hamlet and Gertrude includes metaphorical expressions, “vows as false as dicers,” which shows Hamlet’s disagreement with his mother. Additionally, when his father’s ghost appears, only Hamlet sees him. The ghost tries to calm him, but Hamlet still tells his mother to “assume a virtue” to show he is still angry about his mother’s unacceptable conduct.
In a nutshell, Shakespeare gives different traits of Hamlet through his actions and expressions on his father’s death and subsequent events. His reaction towards his lover and his mother portrays his hatred for women. He associates his mother’s act of remarrying as a betrayal to his father and the public affection of his mother and Claudius as uncouth as per patriarchal codes of conduct. Hamlet also associates his lover with women that he generally hates for betrayal. This makes him change his mind about loving Ophelia after wooing her. In the interaction with his fathers’ ghost, Hamlet still believes that his mother should confess his sin of betrayal. Gertrude’s act of marrying Claudius within a month following Hamlet father’s death leads to his bitterness and hate towards women.
Name the character and related, limited aspect you wish to write about in your critical essay (i.e., choose and limit a topic).
Formulate the statement you wish to make about the topic you stated. (i.e., draft a thesis statement).
Write a tentative outline for your critical essay.
For this essay, do not use outside sources, but use direct evidence from Hamlet itself.
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