Frailty thy Name is Woman
When Hamlet says "Frailty, thy name is woman" in act one, scene two, he is lashing out at his mother for her quick remarriage to his uncle after his father's death. His statement acts as an indicator of Hamlet's perception of all women throughout the play. The men around them control both Gertrude and Ophelia in particular. The most notable frailty of both these women seems to be that, whether by nature or nurture, they cannot exist without men. Both need men as guides to their perceptions of the world and are incapable of trusting their own feelings. His statement reflects a mindset that underestimates the ability of women to decisions for themselves, and even be cunning. It is actually Hamlet's sexist thinking that causes him the grief behind this statement, his shock of her betrayal assumed that she had no desires outside of her dead husband. Even though the characters did prove them selves weak, Hamlet's statement reflects less truth and more his distorted view of women.In Hamlet, women's feelings are not taken seriously by the male characters. In fact, Gertrude even seems to reinforce the idea that Ophelia cannot have valid thoughts or f
Gertrude, Hamlet's mother is the cause of Hamlet's grief and subsequent statement on the frailties of womanhood. Hamlet says she "A little month; or ere those shoes were old/With which she followed my poor father's body/Like Niobe, all tears"(I.ii). Hamlet is shocked and aggrieved that his mother, who appeared to mourn his father's passing, remarried so quickly. Hamlet assumes frailty in his mother did not allow her to resist the will of Claudius, and by his influence she was led astray. Gertrude follows Claudius's lead, telling Hamlet that his father is gone and he should move on. He rebukes her lack of loyalty, and is further disheartened to realize that his mother had an adulterous affair with Claudius before his father's death. This thinking is indicative of a general mindset that showed itself throughout the play. It does not seem to occur to Hamlet that it was his mother's decision to marry Claudius, so when he finds out about the affair before King Hamlet's death, he nearly drives himself crazy wondering whether or not his mother was involved in his father's murder. It boggles his mingd to imagine her capable of such cunning. Polonius believed it necessary to make de
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 797
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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