Hamlet Essay †Misogyny Essay

misogyny, by definition, is the hatred of wo custody and girls. In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, misogyny affects women in negative ways that both impact how a woman is portrayed along with how these stereotypes and get the hangs influence her actions and ultimately lead to her demise. Gertrude and Ophelia, the only major female characters of this play, are both women who must look various factors and adverse effects of misogyny. Shakespeare recitations the patriarchal system to suggest the effects of mens misogynistic fashion towards women. The patriarchal system allows men to objectify women by using them as pawns, and gives men the power to control and manipulate women as they please. Shakespeare demonstrates this through the words and actions of Polonius, Ophelias father. Firstly, the patriarchal system gives Polonius the power to treat Ophelia care an object and control her actions. Claudius, Gertrude, and Polonius all practice together in this scene to make a device on how to discover why Hamlet has gone so mad. In their chat, Polonius says, At such a time Ill loose my daughter to him. (II.ii.174) Here, the word loose emphasizes the cynical unconcern that he has for his daughter.The use of loose in this context is also a pun. Loose means cow, so Shakespeare uses this line as a simile to say that Polonius is soon going to loose his daughter, a cow, to a bull, who is none new(prenominal) than Hamlet. Polonius does this again spell talking to Ophelia about how she shouldnt believe Hamlets words or rely on any of his promises because according to Polonius, Hamlet doesnt truly dear Ophelia he merely has a strong lust for her at the moment. Ay, bouncees to catch wood motherfuckers. I do know, / When the blood burns, how prodigal the instinct/ Lends the tongue vows, Polonius explains. (I.ii.120) Shakespeare uses diction here to emphasize what Polonius thinks of his daughter. Springes are snares to catch fools and a woodcock is a bird that is sub stantially taken. In simple terms, Polonius is comparing Ophelia to this foolish type of bird, axiom that she is easy to get and fool. Once again, he compares her to an animal objectifying her and bringing her down from her status as a human and woman in society. Shakespeare demonstrates how sex is portrayed as something crude and wrong through the actions of Queen Gertrude. Hamlets aversion towards his finds sexuality upkeeps the idea that sexuality is obscene.Hamlet is absolutely stimulate by his mother and while talking to himself, exclaims O, most wicked speed, to post/ With such dexterity toincestuous sheets (I.ii.158-159) Gertrudes sexuality makes her opposed because she remarried with wicked speed. The word wicked has a negative con nonation to it. It implies that Gertrudes speed in re bonding was evil and evil because she betrayed King Hamlet so quickly and the quickness of her actions makes her seem sexually earthy. Hamlet is disgusted by the fact that his mother wa s both quick and agile with becoming incestuous. Furthermore, the idea that sexuality is vulgar is further demonstrated when the ghost of King Hamlet reveals his disgust towards Gertrudes incest. So lust, through to a radiant angel linked, / result state itself in a celestial bed/ And prey on garbage. (I.v.59-60) Even metregh sexuality can be pure like a radiant angel, it will glut (sate) and prey on garbage. Shakespeare uses imagery with these words to reveal that Gertrude is garbage and that she is searched for like debris by a scavenger. The word sate shows Gertrude as a gluttonous animal, implying that her sexuality makes her an animal and then sexuality is vulgar.Shakespeare emphasizes that virginity is essential to a womens hold dear in society, for it makes her both pure and desirable. Ophelias conversations with her companion Laertes and her father Polonius provide evidence that both Laertes and Polonius place a very high value of Ophelias sexuality and her obligation to protect her virginity. Laertes and Ophelia have one last conversation ahead he departs to France. He gives her advice about rejecting lust and desire in order to keep her virginity and thereby make herself honorable. In their conversation with each other, Laertes warns Ophelia to not let herself be seduced and lose her honor by losing her virginity. He says, The canker galls the infants of the spring/ Too oft before their buttons be disclosed. (I.ii.42-43) Shakespeare uses some interesting metaphors in this scene to stress the value of Ophelias maidenhood by comparing it to a flower. The phrase infants of the spring implies both innocence and fertility. This metaphor compares women, in this case Ophelia to new spring flowers whose buds as yet havent been opened (still virgins).Laertes is saying that Ophelia is still young so she must resist her desires in order to dispense with her virginity doing so would also save her honor, which is something that is very valued especially for women in society. Polonius also warns Ophelia about the value of her virginity, butfor other reasons. unconnected Laertes, who is more concerned about Ophelias happiness and emotional well-being, Polonius is more focused on himself and the take to be of his family. He says to her You do not downstairsstand yourself so clearly/ As it behooves my daughter and your honor. (I.ii.102-103) Here, Polonius is saying that Ophelia does not yet understand how to behave in a way that is suitable for someone who is his daughter and who is under his name and household. He is afraid that if Ophelia loses her virginity, she will disgrace the family and hurt his reputation all in all, he fears that the respect of his family will be damaged. This makes it evident that Shakespeare believed that along with altering a womans reputation and complaisant standing, womens chastity also affected mens social standing in society. Seeing that virginity is given such high value, Shakespeare also clearly demonstrates the consequences that a woman experiences by losing her virginity before marriage. He uses Ophelias character to illustrate how losing a womans virginity causes her to lose relationships with people she loves, her social status and reputation, her sanity, and ultimately, her life.OPHELIA.By Gis and by Saint Charity,Alack, and fie, for shame schoolgirlish men will do t, if they come to t.By Cock, they are to blame.Quoth she, Before you tumbled me,You promised me to wed.He answersSo would I a done, by yonder sun,An thou hadst not come to my bed. (IV.v.59-67)After losing her father, Ophelia has become insane and is singing this song while reminiscing about the love that she and Hamlet once had. She has been driven to this madness because of her instability after her father is killed and Hamlet leaves her. Slowly everyone she loves is move away and she feels that is because she didnt listen to her father and brother about protecting her virginity before, so now she is lo w the consequences.In this scene, she is specifically singing about how Hamlet did not keep his promise of marrying her after they had slept together. Young men will dot if they come tot,/ By cock, they are to blame, she explains. In other words, she is saying that men will have sex whenever they have the opportunity. With the phrase by cock, they are to blame, she is saying that the cock represents the vulgar corruption of God because they are the ones who take a womans virginity. Furthermore, Hamlet does not want to marry Ophelia anymore because she isnt a virgin and all men want to marry a woman who is pure and untouched. Ophelias madness in this scene expresses how losing her virginity led her to insanity because she was unequal to(p) of dealing with losing all of her loved ones.Additionally, she loses any respect that she had, along with her social status, because she has done something that is completely unacceptable for a young woman to do in such a society in that time. t out ensemble of this ultimately causes Ophelia to take her own life as a way to end the chain reactions of brokenheartedness and misery that she has had to experience, all because she decided to go and lose her virginity to Hamlet. In conclusion, Shakespeare uses the patriarchal system to suggest mens ability to manipulate women, and ultimately gives an explanation of the reactions to mens misogynistic behavior towards women. Common stereotypes of women ill impact womens perception of themselves and shape women to fit under certain archetypes in a patriarch-run society. Misogyny destructively affects the fate of Woman and, slowly but surely, leads to the deterioration of her idea of self and identity.