Treatment of women

Ophelia

Female Character role

plot

Ophelia is one of the few female characters in the play and this relative absence of women in combination with the way in which male figures are the central focus of the plot (when you think about it Hamlet is fundamentally nothing more than the story of a power struggle between male characters) reflects the voiceless of women and their exclusions of positions of power in patriarchal societies

Ophelia

Female Character role

Polonius

Ophelia also contributes to the characterization of Polonius as a cold-hearted and self-serving courtier. Despite being her father, Polonius treats her coldly and uses Ophelia as a tool to impress Claudius' and this helps to undermine any feelings of sympathy that we might have for him when he is killed.

Ophelia

Female Character role

Hamlet

Finally Ophelia also contributes to the characterization of Hamlet. When comparing their speech it is clear that in her madness Ophelia talks in prose and cannot communicate properly with the rest of the characters and this in turn implies that Hamlet, who could always communicate, was not completely insane ... or at least not insane in the same way.

This comparison leads the audience to question whether Hamlet is truly mad and thus raises one of the questions that has continued to intrigue and perplex readers about this play through the ages.

Ophelia

Female Character role

Flowers

She passes out rosemary (traditionally carried by mourners at funerals), pansies (whose name is derived from the French word *pensie*, meaning “thought” or “remembrance”), fennel (a quick-dying flower symbolizing sorrow), columbines (a flower symbolizing affection, often given to lovers), and daisies (symbols of innocence and purity, and the flower of the Norse fertility goddess Freya). But Ophelia states that she has no violets left—they all withered when her father died. Violets are symbols of modesty, often tied to the Virgin Mary, implying that Ophelia no longer cares about upholding shallow social norms in the wake of such a devastating tragedy. Ophelia’s “bouquet” is contradictory: there are flowers associated with sorrow and mourning, but also happy remembrances; there are flowers that denote purity and chastity alongside flowers given as tokens of sexual or romantic love between partners. Ophelia’s flowers, then, symbolize her many-faceted personality and desires, which have been stripped, squashed, and corrupted by society’s expectations. Ophelia’s imaginary flowers tie in with the thematic representation of women’s issues throughout the play: Ophelia has had to change so much to survive in the world of men that she’s literally driven herself mad.

Hamlet

First soliloquy

thy name is woman

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* Hamlet places the blame on the inherent character of women → his mother. 
* misogynistic opposition between supposed male stoicism and female foolishness or frailty =  ironic 
* Claudius is partially to blame for Hamlet’s situation
*  as son of a King and a male, Hamlet has more agency than his mother does to change his predicament 
* he is dramatically exclaiming his problemes instead → contrast to the somewhat practical nature of Claudius.

Laertes

Act 1 Scene 3

let me hear it from you" "Do you doubt it?

* Lectures ophelia 
* Playful tone → close and affectionate relationship the siblings share 
* Conveys Ophelia as a quiet sister and Laertes as a dominant brother → Laertes, having dominated the dialogue, finally allows Ophelia to respond, to which she says very little. 

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* "let me hear it from you"
* Laetes expects an answer but Ophelia responds with very little
* Ophelia’s silence can also be interpreted to be a quiet assertion of her character. 

she is not as easily manipulated as once presumed, as rather, Laertes is waiting on *her* and not the other way around*.*

Laertes

Act 1 Scene 3

For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favour hold it a fashion and a toy in blood

• compares Hamlet’s affection for his sister as fleeting emotions similar to that of fashion and ever changing youthful pleasures

  • undermines the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet

• Ophelia does not interrupt her brother, suggesting a reluctance in objecting to him

  • despite Laerte’s negative assertions about Hamlet Ophelia only responds with a single line, "no more but so"

    • Ophelia as a voiceless character → she is not strong enough to defend her assumed ‘lover’ and so she says nothing.

Laertes

Act 1 Scene 3

Too oft before their buttons be disclosed

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* innuendo of unopened "buttons" → creates a somewhat graphic allusion to female genitalia, conveying Ophelia as an erotic object
* perhaps Ophelia’s comempt is a way of Ophelia objecting to her father and brother

Polonius

Act 1 Scene 3

Affection! pooh! you speak like a green girl

• exclamatory phrases throughout Polonius’ dialogue → he is used to talking down to Ophelia and dismissing her views

  • condescends her to get his own point across.

• elaborate wordplay →  Ophelia as not only childish, but also thoughtless

  • Polonius picks up words Ophelia uses such as "affection" and interprets them in a different and negative way.

    • conveys his degrading views of the youth → Ophelia doesn’t have the psychological capability to form her own feelings or opinion.

• Polonius is also dismissive of Ophelia’s own opinions → Laertes’s caution accepts the possibility of Hamlet’s sincerity whereas Polonius merely doubts the affections of youth and therefore Ophelia.

  • due to Ophelia’s dismissive family predicament, she is conveyed to be powerless by her family and perhaps she believes it → she says little afterwards and does not object to Polonius’ insults.

    • Ophelia is somewhat used to or even happy with accepting the beliefs of the men in her life → she diminishes her own sense of character whilst making her susceptible to the influence of Laetes

Ophelia

Act 1 Scene 3

Whiles like puffed and reckless libertine [..] And recks not his own rede

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* she is presented as older and wiser compared to what was previously said about her childish demeanour 
* She picks up on Laertes' hypocrisy when he goes to France.
* Ophelia demonstrates that she is capable of objecting to her brother → would have been difficult because of his dominating presence.

Ophelia

Act 1 Scene 3

I do not know my lord what I should think

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* Tone = Said with contempt and sarcasm 
* even in a situation in which she is powerless, she still has opinions

Ophelia

Act 1 Scene 3

I shall the effect [..] keep as watchman to my heart

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* Shakespeare presents an example of equivocation which has multiple meanings
* Ophelia could be seen as being somewhat opinionated due to her awareness and disapproval of Laertes tendency to be wild and free.
* Ophelia's acceptance and understanding of all that Laertes has said, which would agree with the more submissive view of her character.

Ophelia

Act 3 Scene 4

I was the more deceiv'd

• This is Ophelia's response to Hamlet's claim that he never loved her when they meet in the chapel in Act III.

• Previously Ophelia defended Hamlet against her father and this makes Hamlet's claim that he did not love her even more hurtful. The fact that her father is hiding nearby to overhear Hamlet's words accentuates the humiliating nature of the scene and a palpable sense of sympathy is created here as we see Ophelia exploited by both Hamlet and her father for their own ends.

• Hamlet, to create the impression that he is mad and thus lull Claudius into a false sense of security, and Polonius to prove that Hamlet's love for Ophelia is what caused his insanity.

Ophelia

Act 4

I would give you some violets, but they wither'd all when my father died. They say a'made a good end - [sings.] 'For bonny sweet Robin is all my jo

Ophelia in her madness is distributing flowers to the members of the court and the pathos of the scene inspires considerable sympathy from the both the characters on stage and the audience.

This sense of pathos is intensified by the use of imagery that suggests death and decay - 'withered', 'end' and 'died' - and the poignant contrast with images of 'joy

Ophelia

Act 4

Larded all with sweet flowers (Ophelia)

The evil in this play has corrupted the sweet and innocent mind of a young woman.

Ophelia's death songs are significant in spite of some of the nonsense they contain they also reveal the truth that can ironically only be revealed by those in the state of madness.

This poignant image foreshadows Ophelia's later suicide.

Ophelia (anonymous gentleman)

Act 4

'Her speech is nothing, yet the unshaped use of it doth move the hearers to collection’

• In this quotation the Gentleman becomes the mouth of patriarchal structure, whilst women are capable of ‘mov[ing] the hearers’ and may have great emotional impact, he defines Ophelia’s speech and actions as ‘nothing’.

• discredits her sanity

• Ophelia does not solely desire to influence her audience, she arouses feelings such as pity, fear, curiosity and even anger in her listeners.

Gertude

Act 1 scene 2

all that lives must die

Gertrude tries to comfort Hamlet about the death of King Hamlet, however she is insensitive and clearly has no true feelings of grief.

Gertude

Act 2

I doubt it is no other but the main: His father's death, and our o'erhasty marriage

The first time Gertrude actually admits that they married to soon and may be to blame for Hamlet's melancholy.

Gertude

Act 3 scene 4

As kill a king?

She seems to be genuinely shocked by this bold accusation, thus implying that she had no knowledge of Claudius' crimes

AO5

Play

Ophelia is childlike and meek, Franco Zeffirelli 1990

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* Laertes is dominant in the foreground whilst she is almost forgotten in the background. 
* Ophelia’s head is often down when she is spoken to as she diligently does as she is told, conveying her as a domesticated ‘child’

AO5

Play

Delivery of  "I do not know my lord what I should think", Franco Zeffirelli 1990

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* Ophelia delivers this line with complete sincerity; like a child she truly does not know what she should think and is therefore asking for advice. 

AO5

Play

Delivery of  "I do not know my lord what I should think", → Duran 2009

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* Ophelia says this line with contempt and sarcasm, suggesting that she will not allow herself to be infantilised and manipulated like a child by her father’s condescending words.

AO5

Play

Delivery of  "I shall obey my lord", Franco Zeffirelli 1985  AND Duran 2009

* Ophelia delivers her line with contempt and disgust; as if she truly does not want to obey her father’s orders. 

AO5

Critics

Control of Ophelia, Lily Campbell 1932

"If she refuses Polonius, she risks social ostracism and grave insult to the man who capriciously controls her future."

Ophelia is not voiceless, instead she is restricted by her father and therefore is not able to refuse him.

AO5

Critics

Ophelia madness scene → Sternfeld 2011

“Ophelia’s behaviour is 'strange, indeed, and contrary to all sense of propriety'

“perception of music’s inarticulateness and sensual immediacy gives a singing Ophelia ‘the effect of speaking outside of \[…\], male discourse \[...\]

AO5

Critics

Ophelia madness scene songs→ Leslie Dunn 1944

* When Ophelia sings, she takes on a mask of performance \[…\] in order to be heard in the male constructed discourse.

AO5

Critics

Ophelia madness scene flowers → Elaine Showwalter

* Ophelia’s flowers 'suggest the discordant double images', and this duality is reminiscent of the contradictory position of the female in social order.
* She also becomes an embodiment of how the female is perceived within the patriarchal structure.

AO5

Critics

Ophelia madness → 1977 Hanna Charney

Madness enables her to assert her being; she is no longer enforced to keep silent and play the dutiful daughter’.

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Critics

Ophelia is unable to form her own opinions, Lee Edwards 1985

The truth is that Ophelia was a disreputable young woman,"

* Conveys the lack of respect associated around Ophelia’s character. 

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Critics

18th century → Slathers

“a rebellion against the patriarchal society”

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Critics

19th century → Barker → Ophelia in the play

“\[her\] function in the play is vital”

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Critics

1990 → Hyon- u → Ophelia’s madness

“Ophelia is liberated through insanity”

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Critics

1936 → Smith → kind of woman Gertrude is

“a sensual and deceitful woman”

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Critics

20th century → TS Eliot →Gertrude to the play

Gertrude is insignificant

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Critics

21st century → Janet alderman → gertrude and hamlet’s impulsivness

Gertrude’s corruption in the eyes of Hamlet leads to his impulsivity

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Critics

2009 → Duran → kind of woman Gertrude is

“vain self-satisfied woman of strong sexual appetites”

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Critics

1936 → Smith

“trained his daughter to use her as bait”

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Critics

Ernest Jones 19th century → Hamlet’s phsyche

\[gertrude\] whored when speaking to Claudius

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Play

Mel Gibson → 1990 → presentation of Ophelia

Ophelia is conveyed as being child-like with infant facial feature

AO5

Play

Duran → 2009

Hamlet is physically violent when he says “get thee to a nunnery”

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Play

Doran 2009 → love

condoms on luggage to Ophelia

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Play

Brannagh 1990 → incest

incestuous link between Laertes and Ophelia as he kisses her on the lips

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Play

Trevor Nunn → 1976 → Ophelia and Laertes

Ophelia and Laertes made flirtatious doubles

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Ophelia

Coleridge → 21st Claudius' love for Gertrude

he loved Gertrude deeply and genuinly

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Ophelia

Lee Edwards → 21st Ophelia’s meaning

Ophelia literally has no story without Hamlet

AO5

Gertrude

duran 2009

wears a wig - covering the truth \n Smoking and drinking - cannot cope with events, vulnerable woman \n Whispers "as kill a king" and looks horrified - seems shocked and realises the truth