Hamlet and Women
The great flaws of humanity, as defined in the characters of the tragedy, make Hamlet to be considered one of the greatest tragedies ever written. As Emily Dickonson stated, "Hamlet wavered for all of us," humanity can indeed find a likeness of himself in the Prince of Denmark. Thousands of scholars, writers, students, and psychologists spend countless years on the analysis of human nature through Hamlet, the great "play within a play". As Harold Goddard puts it, "[Hamlet] presents a different face to each man..."(Goddard, page 331), and therefore, the analysis of the tragedy is a matter of personal opinion, and will never be complete.According to Quennell: "A conclusive history of Shakespeare's life is lacking; much hypothesis surrounds relatively few facts". Born at Stratford-upon-Avon, in Warwickshire, April 23, 1564, he led a relatively comfortable life. His father was a a prominent man in Stratford. By 1560, he was one of fourteen burgesses which formed the town council.The eldest son of eight children, William received education at the local grammar school and an apprenteship at a butcher shop. Shakespeare, however, never attended a university. On November 28, 1582 Anne Hathaway married Shakespeare. At the time, she
Hamlet returns to find that paradise is lost, and this drives him to madness. his acting company with approximately two plays annually. After 1608, it Shakespeare's contempt for women shows throughout the play. An anguished Hamlet cries out: "Frailty, thy name is woman" and resents his mother's hasty remarriage. Behind Claudius and Hamlet are two unappreciated women who lack the willpower to demand to be listened to. Instead, they both live their lives in the shadows of their controlling men. Therefore, both are seen by Hamlet as weak and frail women. Ophelia embodies the flaw of obiedence, but deeper than that, of dependence. Completely dependent on her father, Ophelia's actions show that she will do anything to appease her father, even making a personal sacrifice which she doesn't agree with. Ophelia's desire to appease her him leads her to be used as a puppet in order for the King and Polonious to spy on Hamlet, "...as you did command, I did repel his letters and denied/ His access to me..."(page 38). Ophelia's willingness to spy on a person she truly loves depicts her true nature and her innate devotion toward her father. Even when Hamlet harasses Ophelia and tells her to go to a nunnery, Opheila lacks the will and ability to defend herself. Unfortunately, Ophelia's dependence on her father leads her to an early death. Deserted when her father dies, she is left with no one to give her guidence. Instead of trying to move on with her life, she slips away into madness. Gertrude, like Ophelia, depends on a man for advice and insight to Hamlet's attitude. Gertrude's longing for the attention that she loses when her husband dies causes her hasty remarriage. The need for dependance is so deep, in fact, and the marriage comes so suddenly, that Hamlet states: "The funeral baked meats / Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables"(1.2.180-181). This may well signify the Queen's need for, and dependence on, male support and guidance. (Bloom, page 428). before the altar in the Stratford Church, where his body still lies today.
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Approximate Word count = 1576
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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