Hamlet

William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet, Prince of Denmark’ is a timeless play that remains relevant over four hundreds years after its original publication and performance. The revenge tragedy chronicles a grieving Hamlet dealing with the death of his father and the suspicion, as voiced in Act I Scene II, “All is not well; I doubt some foul play”, that Claudius murdered his father in order to marry his wife and take the throne. Hamlet suspicions are ‘confirmed’ when he experiences visions of the Ghost of his father who orders him to “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” This sends Hamlet on a path of vengeance that eventually leads to the demise of the majority of characters in the play.

Hamlet is a product of Shakespeare’s context and thus upholds the values of the Elizabethan era. Gender values in Hamlet reflect the patriarchal society in which Shakespeare lived. This is established through the treatment of Ophelia and Gertrude throughout the play and the hierarchy of Elsinore, Denmark where the play is set. As a woman of the 21st century I find this a difficult concept to comprehend. Having grown up in a single parent family, looking up to my mother as an emotionally strong woman who was able to raise a family on her own whilst studying and working I am unable to see truth in Hamlet’s view of women. In Hamlet’s first soliloquy he shouts “Frailty, thy name is woman!” describing his mother as weak and reliant on men. Critics argue as to whether Gertrude was naïve and unaware of the schemes surrounding her or if she was knowing involved in Claudius’ plots. Ophelia is also shown to be weak as she is primarily depicted through her relationship with Hamlet and when left by him she quickly plumets into insanity. Shakespeare uses uses Ophelia’s dialogue in Act IV Scene IV to show her descent into hysteria. Her dialogue turns into childish singing, “Larded all with sweet flowers, which bewept to the grave did not go with true love showers.” For example. For a play that...