Hamlet, By William Shakespeare - 1907 Words

â€Å"Frailty, thy name is woman!† (1.2. 150). This controversial line, followed by several more from the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, displays a widespread view towards women that portrays them as being weak and contingent towards men. Throughout the play, two women, Ophelia and Gertrude, are shown to be dependent on the men in their lives. They both take on a foolish obedient state of mind. Even though they share this common characteristic, Ophelia and Gertrude are very different characters. Ophelia is a beautiful, young woman who is the love interest of the protagonist, Hamlet. Ophelia obeys her father, Polonius, without hesitation and has little experience with making her own decisions. Gertrude was the wife of Old Hamlet, and is†¦show more content†¦Early literature was â€Å"mostly men who composed these works and male critics who vouched for their greatness† (Gardiner 395). Early works of literature typically portrayed the society that was around them. In general, women did not have freedom to do as they chose. They were to listen to the men and do as they were told. The typical culture in a patriarchal society viewed women as objects and not as independent individuals. In Hamlet, Ophelia and Gertrude were merely accessories to the men and served in aiding to the plot. Ophelia grew up relying on the men in her life to tell her what to do. She followed the direction from her father and brother even if it meant hurting her beloved Hamlet. Act 1 was the first time Ophelia’s obedience was displayed. Her brother Laertes, and her father Polonius told her to stay away from Hamlet. With very few words of persuasion she replied with, â€Å"I shall obey, my lord† (1.3. 145). Ophelia demonstrated no capability of expressing her desires or the motivation to survive on her own. It was not her fault that she behaved in this way because women in her society were not supposed to rely on themselves. â€Å"Ophelia is not only misunderstood by the men in her life, but grossly underestimated by them† (Rooks 477). Ophelia had the potential to think on her own and choose