Riya Bhagat
Ms. McCarty
AP English Literature
21 October 2016
Period 5
The Ladder to Success: Control
Control. Every man has a sole desire that commands each and every one of his actions: that aspiration is control. Whether morally right or wrong, he will take whichever path is readily available to fulfill this desire. Such is the case in Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark when the men, Hamlet, Claudius, Polonius and Laertes, use the women Ophelia and Gertrude, as a means of attaining pleasure in the form of dominance. This command of men over women, who lack the rights of an individual, leads to subjection and regulation of thought.
Men have a simple, unwavering opinion about women; they are feeble, reliant, and …show more content…
Surrendering to men’s control, Ophelia allows her thoughts to be manipulated when she tells Hamlet, “I think nothing, My Lord” (Act 3, scene 2, 107). By proclaiming that she has no thoughts of her own, Ophelia minimizes the importance of her character. Similar to most Elizabethan women, as Gunenc explains, “Ophelia is a lack of creatures”. Unable to have thoughts of her own, she is incapable of making a spot for herself in society or the lives of men. A weak-willed character, Ophelia “obeys her father so unquestioningly” as to the point of agreeing to spy on Hamlet. Easily manipulated, Ophelia unknowingly helps her father ascend the hierarchical throne. If she spies on Hamlet, Polonius will be able to confirm his hypothesis that the reason for Hamlet’s madness is caused by his love for Ophelia. If Polonius’ hypothesis is confirmed, Claudius will give him a higher position in the throne. Giving in to men’s manipulations, Ophelia allows Hamlet and Polonius to control her thoughts and actions in order to achieve their own …show more content…
ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 93.
• Dominic, Catherine C. “Hamlet.” Shakespeare 's Characters for Students. Detroit: Gale Research, 1997. Print.
• Gunenc, Mesut. "Ophelia and Gertrude: Victimized Women in Hamlet." Thesis. Istanbul Aydin University, 2015. Web.
• Shakespeare, William, and G. B. Harrison. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1948.
Ms. McCarty
AP English Literature
21 October 2016
Period 5
The Ladder to Success: Control
Control. Every man has a sole desire that commands each and every one of his actions: that aspiration is control. Whether morally right or wrong, he will take whichever path is readily available to fulfill this desire. Such is the case in Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark when the men, Hamlet, Claudius, Polonius and Laertes, use the women Ophelia and Gertrude, as a means of attaining pleasure in the form of dominance. This command of men over women, who lack the rights of an individual, leads to subjection and regulation of thought.
Men have a simple, unwavering opinion about women; they are feeble, reliant, and …show more content…
Surrendering to men’s control, Ophelia allows her thoughts to be manipulated when she tells Hamlet, “I think nothing, My Lord” (Act 3, scene 2, 107). By proclaiming that she has no thoughts of her own, Ophelia minimizes the importance of her character. Similar to most Elizabethan women, as Gunenc explains, “Ophelia is a lack of creatures”. Unable to have thoughts of her own, she is incapable of making a spot for herself in society or the lives of men. A weak-willed character, Ophelia “obeys her father so unquestioningly” as to the point of agreeing to spy on Hamlet. Easily manipulated, Ophelia unknowingly helps her father ascend the hierarchical throne. If she spies on Hamlet, Polonius will be able to confirm his hypothesis that the reason for Hamlet’s madness is caused by his love for Ophelia. If Polonius’ hypothesis is confirmed, Claudius will give him a higher position in the throne. Giving in to men’s manipulations, Ophelia allows Hamlet and Polonius to control her thoughts and actions in order to achieve their own …show more content…
ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 93.
• Dominic, Catherine C. “Hamlet.” Shakespeare 's Characters for Students. Detroit: Gale Research, 1997. Print.
• Gunenc, Mesut. "Ophelia and Gertrude: Victimized Women in Hamlet." Thesis. Istanbul Aydin University, 2015. Web.
• Shakespeare, William, and G. B. Harrison. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1948.