Although this applies more to Gertrude than it does to Ophelia, the infidelity and untrustworthiness of woman in Hamlet is what prompted the protagonist to utter the famous line, “Frailty, thy name is woman” (I.ii.146). Disgusted with the swift marriage of his mother to his uncle only a month after the death of his father, Hamlet comes to the general conclusion that women are weak and disloyal.
Throughout the play, the women are portrayed as such. Beginning with Gertrude, it is quite surprising that she would go on to marry only after a month of being a widow, especially since she showers the late Old Hamlet with much love. Perhaps, she’s tired of grieving over her dead husband and believes that Claudius could bring her entertainment, or perhaps Claudius is simply a very persuasive man. Whatever the reason may be, this comes to show that women in Shakespeare’s time would probably jump from one thing to another once they are bored. To further show his contempt at women, Hamlet tells Ophelia, “Why, wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners… it were better my mother had not borne me” (III.i.121-124).
Although Hamlet also criticizes men, he calls unchaste women “a breeder of sinners” and wished that his mother had never born him at all. This quote almost makes it seem as if women are the source of evil. Although it cannot be said that Ophelia is disloyal, seeing as she never marries, it also seems as if the male characters cannot really trust her. One interesting fact is that whenever Gertrude or Ophelia spy on Hamlet, there always needs to be a man watching.
However, when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spy on Hamlet, there is no need for Polonius to peep at the scene. It seems as if Claudius and Polonius cannot trust the women to report the facts, but they easily trust the men. Whether or not Shakespeare has a distrust of women during his time, the men in Hamlet certainly do, and it obviously does not present a virtuous image of women.
Although women continue to make a large impact on the world, they do not seem to make as large as an impact in Shakespeare’s time. As shown in Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays the two female characters as instruments for the men, weak, and disloyal.
It cannot be said that these portrayals truly represent the views of Shakespeare, seeing as little is known about the author and the women in Hamlet contrast sharply with Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, because she is shown as strong-willed, intelligent, and loyal to Romeo. But, it can certainly be said that portrayal of women in Hamlet is certainly what women are generally thought of during Shakespeare’s time, as being there to simply fulfill the needs of men and carry on the human species. People do not view them as strong and independent beings with intelligent minds. Perhaps, this explains why Shakespeare chose to portray women as they are in Hamlet, to express the general opinion of women at the time.
It is not until the 19th Century with the feminist movement that people view women as equals of men. To a modern audience, the portrayal of women would certainly be criticized. Portraying them as weak and tools to fulfill the needs of men would garner negative responses even from men. Despite this, there is still a perception of women being disloyal and untrustworthy, even if that perception is not widely agreed upon.
Even in today’s modern films, there is sometimes a stereotypical femme fatale, a beautiful woman that lures the hapless hero to achieving her end with her charm and beauty. Famous in James Bond films, it is still a negative stereotype that women have yet to battle. Perhaps, it will still be a while until woman will receive the portrayal they deserve.
