Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Examine Shakespeare’s presentation Essay

When juncture was scratch caudex performed in 1601, England had been successfully ruled for forty- iii historic period by Elizabeth I, a strong and influential milkweed butterfly who reigned without a man interchangeable counterpart, establishing England as mavin of the closely powerful and prominent countries in the world. This is proof that wowork force git be as successful as custody however women were lock seen as interpret division citizens, and property of their saves, during the Elizabethan period. Polonius says of Ophelia I shoot a daughter have while she is mine. (2.2, line 106).This is reflected in Shakespe atomic number 18s portrayal of women in juncture, which shows Gertrude in a very different light to Elizabeth Tudor. For human worldsy historic period in the past, many women tinkered a base role socially, economically and politically. As a head of this, many works of literature of this measure, including settlement, were reflective of this mi nute role of women. Shakespe atomic number 18 suggests the danger of womens involvement in politics at the sovereign level, and reflects the publics desire for a return to a convey of stability through a change to a patriarchal system.We can examine Shakespe ars demo of women in settlement through the way the ii women in the play, Gertrude and Ophelia, are tempered by the men in their lives, and by analyzing the context in which they are parentred. The first time Claudius refers to Gertrude he says Our sometime sister, forthwith our Queen, Th imperial jointress of this war uniform state, (1. 2, lines 8-9) which shows how he besidesk receipts of his dead brothers married woman whilst she was still mourning her husbands death to fabricate his place on the throne. She married.O around guilty speed, to post, with such dexterity to incestuous sheets. (1.2, lines 156-157) Here Hamlet is accusing his mother of corruption beca single-valued function of her improper inner activi ty and married couple. Even though a matrimonial bond existed between Claudius and Gertrude, the rushed and incestuous aspects of the marriage enrage Hamlet. The couple were married slight than three months after the death of Hamlets father, and in Hamlets eyes, Gertrudes actions have deflower her reference pose. Royal stimulateual activity created concerns about twain power and purity in the Elizabethan world. As women had no opportunity to fight on the passage of arms field, chastity was the principle measure of their honour and virtue. therefrom Hamlets position of his mother has a negative reflection of a womans virtues. Sir Walter Mildway, 1510, said Choose thy wife for virtue only. Elizabeths sexual conduct drew public attention, and she publically vowed her purity, level(p) adopting the title Virgin Queen. When King Hamlets ghost appears he refers to Gertrude as his almost seeming-virtuous Queen. (1. 5, lines 4-6) He is expressing his belief that Gertrude had evermore seemed faithful, but at one time she has married much less of a man she has dishonoured him, and lost all his appraise and trust.Even though Hamlet and his father are seeking punish on Claudius, they continue to speak of Gertrude. In his second soliloquy we watch Hamlet to be expressing his villainy towards Claudius, however he is focusing all of his brawn on this most pernicious woman, (1. 5, line 105) who is his mother. This dis-belief at his mothers behaviour is understandable, however, as it is so soon after his fathers death, and you would expect Gertrude to still be mourning the death of her husband that she apparently loved dearly. One of the most celebrated paraphrases regarding women in Hamlet is Frailty thy spot is woman. (1. 2, lines 146-147) This quote sums up the attitudes of the male characters in the play, that women are by far the weaker sex and flip overs us a hint as to why the men treat Gertrude and Ophelia with so little respect. In 1558, wr iter, John Knox described women as weak, frail, impatient, feeble and foolish. Emphasizing the way that women were viewed at the time Hamlet was written. Both the women are greatly controlled by the men of the play, particularly Ophelia who is lots told what to do and who has been treated as if she does non have a brain of her own all her life.When asked a question Ophelia often replies with I think nothing, (3. 2, line 118) and when she does express an flavour it is dismissed. Polonius says Affection? Pooh, you speak uniform a greens girl unsifted, (1. 3, line 101) which is extremely patronizing, saying she speaks deal an inexperienced and untried girl who does not recognise what she is talking about. Ophelia could have an out-going personality however, she is so crush that we neer get to see a real reflection of her character, due to the constraints of the society she is sustentation in.We tied(p) hear Gertrude, the Queen of Denmark, saying to her husband I shall ob ey you. By obeying the men and giving in to a passive existence Gertrude and Ophelia are living up to the label that women are the weaker sex. The men give good advice to both women, telling them what to do and when, Polonius tells Ophelia not to give her virginity away too easily when he uses the metaphor set you entreatments at a higher(prenominal) rate then a command to parley, (1. 3, lines 122-123) where her virginity is compared to a castle under siege.Even though Polonius is Ophelias father, he seems to have no respect for her, or her privacy, and rarely thinks of how she may be feeling. He reads Hamlets love letters out-loud to the King and uses Ophelia as bait to improve his image in apparent conkment of Claudius, which is extremely self-centred and obsequious. Another quote that in reality stands out in Hamlet that shows how little respect the men have for Gertrude and Ophelia is Get thee to a nunnery. (3. 1, line 121) This is Hamlet telling Ophelia that because he can not have her, no one can, so she has to go to a nunnery, away from all other male contact.He does not ask her how she feels, and is willing to confine the rest of her life miserable simply because he can not be with her. It never even occurs to Hamlet that she might be willing to move on and perplex someone other than him to go past the rest of her life with. After the nunnery scene, Ophelia speaks to Polonius and we hear her faith for the first and only time. She presents herself entirely as the dupe of Hamlets rough treatment.She says I of ladies most deject and wretched, that sucked the honey of his musiked vows, (3.1, lines 158-159) showing how Ophelia had believed in what Hamlet told her and how she feels dejected about the fact that he claims to have never loved her. God has given you one face, and you stupefy yourselves another, (3. 1, lines 145-146) is Hamlet saying that women wear too much make-up and in doing so are deceiving men into thinking that they are something that they are not. He accuses Ophelia of existence a typical woman and is thence not treating her as an individual.He says For the power of looker will sooner transform honesty from what it is bawd, (3.1, lines 111-112) explaining his opinion that beautiful women are untrustworthy and insincere. Even though Hamlet accuses women of this, he is saying it in the hotness of an argument so he may be exaggerating and may not be giving his aline opinion. Ophelia hardly says a think back to him though, once more reflecting the idea that women are frail and passive. Throughout the play Hamlet makes reference to prostitutes, and seems to make a liaison between women, sex and corruption. When Hamlet and Polonius are discourse he says For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good fondling carrion. (2. 2, lines 184-185) He uses this metaphor of a dead dog, and a pun on the word sun, to make the geological period that if the son (Hamlet) kisses the daughter (Ophelia) then she may breed, like the maggots in the dead animal. The characters of the play often refer to sex in a negative manner, and it is never described as a loving act between a couple. In Hamlets second soliloquy he is blaming himself, and compares himself to a blowzy woman saying that he must like a whore, unpack my heart with words, and fall a-cursing like a very drab, a stallion. (2.2, lines 592-594) His references to women are always negative, and he presents them as objects that men can use for sexual pleasure whenever they want.The final point to make about the way Shakespeare presents women is the fact that Ophelia is the only character driven to suicide, and that she is one of only two women in the play. This is possible another way for Shakespeare to make his point that women are by far the weaker sex. Audiences forthwith would find the way that the women in Hamlet are treated extremely surprising as today women are so much more independent.Instead of being a husbands possession, a wife is seen as an equal. Women today have the immunity to be more open-minded, and are allowed to voice opinions other than their husbands. Women today have almost total sexual freedom as well, so the connection between women, sex and corruption would probably cause mixed reactions. This, however, similarly brings me to the point that even though Shakespeares innovation of women is negative, so is his presentation of men.He shows the men being insensitive, selfish, oppressive and shows them treating women with very little respect. Frailty thy name is woman, no longer applies to the women of the 21st Century as there are more or less equal opportunities for men and women now, and everyone has the same education and crinkle opportunities no matter what sex you may be. I think that this quote sums up Shakespeares overall presentation of women and the treatment of Gertrude and Ophelia shows us how women were oppressed, and often seen as objects rather than human beings.

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