discuss the extent to which misogyny is a central theme or motif in Hamlet.

discuss the extent to which misogyny is a central theme or motif in the Play.

In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, misogyny is a strongly central theme in the play. This hatred of women is expressed in various ways, though primarily through the protagonist Hamlet’s relationship with his mother Gertrude and lover Ophelia. This disgust with female sexuality and their supposed “fraility” is demonstrated in both Hamlet’s dialogue when speaking to Gertrude and Ophelia, and in his private soliloquy’s. Polonius also demonstrates misogyny in the way in which he controls Ophelia.  At a time when Hamlet is questioning his own morality, and his own worth, placing the blame in part upon women thus becomes a clear attempt to comfort his muddled mind and tainted soul, resulting in misogyny forming a distinct aspect of the text.

In Hamlet, the central protagonist Hamlet is exposed as a man of misery, depression and despair. We are soon to see that this condition is triggered primarily from his outrage at his mother’s haste marriage to the brother of his father; Hamlet believes that such an action is a blatant expression of disloyalty towards his father. Famously damning: ‘Frailty! Thy name is woman!’ Hamlet is left to dwell upon the moral shortcomings of ‘the wretched queen’. As a result, Hamlet comes to develop a cynical attitude towards women in general, as it is easier to do so than to try and comprehend why his mother is behaving in this way.  According to Hamlet, even “a beast that wants a discourse of reason would have mourned longer” and women therefore, have levels of morality that even animals will surpass. While it is hard to deem the extent to which such misogyny is deliberate, from this Shakespeare clearly communicates to us that women are not only too fragile to survive without men, but too shallow and fickle to feel concern over the loss of their husbands.

As well as proposing the notion of female frailty through Gertrude, Hamlet’s mistreatment of Ophelia is another way in which the play of Hamlet could be considered a strongly misogynistic one. This is seen in particular through Hamlet’s verbal taunts directed at Ophelia’s intelligence, as he sneers that she is accustomed to “jig and amble and lisp” and that she makes her “wantonness” her “ignorance.” Indeed, Ophelia is depicted as being fragile, neurotic, and generally futile, with Polonious further calling her a “baby”, and a “green girl.” Polonius seeks to hold complete control over Ophelia, and she is presented to us as being unintelligent, mute, and unable to make her own decisions; for example, when Polonious warns her to stay away from Hamlet, instead of questioning or objecting, Ophelia merely recites: I shall obey, my lord.” According to Hamlet, fragility and fickleness are not exclusive to Gertrude and Ophelia, but rather, are qualities that accompany femininity at large.

As well as resenting women for the allegedly brittle nature of their character and intellect, Hamlet is also shown to criticize women for their sexuality. This idea is communicated most strikingly by Hamlet’s repulsion at the way in which his mother responded to her husband’s death with ‘such dexterity to incestuous sheets.’  Hamlet is not only revolted by his mother’s sex drives, but is enraged by with whom she chooses to fulfil them with. Bellowing at his mother that “at your age the heyday in the blood is tame”, Hamlet sees the desires for women to have sex as being another way in which they express neediness and fragility- he believes they are reliant solely upon their sexuality. Hamlet further associates such instincts with moral corruption, advising his mother that she is living in the “rank sweat of an enseamed bed, stew’d in corruption, honeying and making love over the nasty sty.” This thus demonstrates misogyny in it’s most blatant and extreme: While the noble male, Hamlet, responds to the death of his father with bereavement and sorrow, the weak and morally corrupt female, Gertrude, reacts merely by making love to his brother.

Hamlet’s verbal abuse directed at Ophelia’s sexuality is another way in which a misogynistic viewpoint is demonstrated. After telling her that he “loved [her] not”, he tells her to “get thee to a nunnery” if she wants to be a “breeder of sinners”, as though her affection for him sprang only from animal-like sex drives. This idea is elaborated upon by Hamlet as he scathes about the use of cosmetics by women, yelling: “God hath given you one face and you make yourself another!” In Hamlet’s viewpoint, women attempt to make themselves more beautiful as their appearance and sexuality is all they have. This perspective is further seen as Hamlet’s maltreatment of Ophelia drives her to suicide, demonstrating misogyny again in it’s most acute: if a girl is to be viewed as unattractive and unwanted by a male, there is nothing to her - she therefore may as well commit suicide.

In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the central protagonist Hamlet is an outcast hero who holds a characteristic need to justify the behaviour of himself and of others with logic. Misogyny is one way in which he tries to achieve this, as he falls into a tempting human trap of making unjustified assumptions and generalisations in order to deal with the overwhelming confusion he is subject to. This is seen consistently throughout the play through his relations and dialogue with Gertrude and Ophelia, as well as through Polonius’s treatment of Ophelia. Consequently, we see misogyny arise as a clear and predominant theme throughout the play, as Hamlet assumes all women to be as airheaded and hopeless as Ophelia and Gertrude, and thus most inferior to men - both in morality and in wit.