Inequality In Hamlet

Men and women since the beginning of time have been restricted and treated differently. The inequality stretches from Shakespeare’s times, which can be seen in the gender roles in Hamlet, to modern day. Specifically citing in Hamlet reveals, that every woman is there for the men’s enjoyment, they can be sexual, but only just enough to not be considered wenches. The Queen, Gertrude indubitably oversteps this boundary. In addition, men need to be strong, both physically and emotionally. The protagonist, Hamlet shows weakness in the eyes of other males, by slumping into a depression after his father’s death, thus deviating from the normalcy of male gender roles, and this is further displayed in Ophelia. It can be argued, that men and women in …show more content…
These ideas are often spoken between father and son or man to man. When a father dies, another man will try to step in to try and be a father figure. In the first act, scene 2, Hamlet is distraught and acting depressed and pessimistic. This is rightfully so, his father, the king has died. His uncle, Claudius tries to reconcile Hamlet. Claudius sees Hamlets behavior as peculiar and wrong. This is because his behavior is different from the normal gender role of males. With intentions of helping, Claudius simply sounds rude and arrogant, “But you must know your father lost a father/ That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound/ In filial obligation for some term/ To do obsequious sorrow. But to perserer/ In obstinate condolement is a course/ of impious stubbornness. ‘Tis unmanly grief” (1.2.93-98). In this quote Claudius is invalidating Hamlets feelings of grief. He goes further insult Hamlet by calling his grief unmanly. Peter Bray of the Journal of Men explains how men grieve and how it is perceived in society:
Similarly, assumptions that men all grieve in the same manner has been superseded by the belief that an individual 's response to death is unique regardless of gender. Nevertheless, even though men are notionally free to maintain their relationships with the deceased and grieve their losses across a spectrum of gender responses, they still conform to established patterns …show more content…
Whether it is bathrooms or even jobs. However, within families there are gender roles. Daughters are taught to act a certain way and to be daddy’s little girl. The brothers are taught to protect their sisters, play sports, and how to be the man of the house. These are simple gender roles that are stereotypical of an American family. This is very similarly to how Laertes treats his dear little sister Ophelia. When Ophelia is head over heels for Hamlet, her brother sees the downfall in it. This is because he is a man and knows how they work. In hopes to look out for his sister, he simply tells her to keep her heart guarded, but also to not act unladylike. In a way, he told her to not be a slut. Yet, another gender role put on women, that they can give their hearts away, but not their virtue. Ophelia is grateful for his worries, but she’s defends to herself to her brother soon after. “I shall the effect of this good lesson keep/ As watchman to my heart. But, good, my brother. / Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven…/ Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads/ and recks not his own rende (1.3.49-55). Ophelia is trying to break free of her gender norms that have been put upon her by her family. She tries to free her sexuality and exercise her freedom by being with Hamlet and falling for him. It’s terrible enough to have a brother that says such wrenched things, her father then restricts Ophelia