The Development of Misogyny During the time of Shakespeare, misogyny was very common. Misogyny is the hatred of women and in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he portrays two women who are repeatedly used to display what women of the time acted like. Men were known to have been the more dominant sex, meaning that most were in control of women. Women in this time usually let the men make decisions for them. The sexist behavior demonstrated caused a strong disliking towards women if they were not obedient. Some women were not given much respect regarding their opinions. Throughout the play, Hamlet is constantly being harsh toward Ophelia and his mother, Gertrude. His views on women were changed after his mother married his dead father’s brother, which he
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Hamlet became more cynical about the women in his life. Hamlet’s hatred for his mother grew even further when he found out that Gertrude married his father’s murderer. Hamlet became disgusted by the Queen embracing Claudius because she never mourned the death of the king. Hamlet exclaims, “Frailty, thy name is woman” (1.2.11). Hamlet’s statement can stem more to his hatred of all women, since he says thy name is woman. Since Hamlet was known to be an intelligent man, if it was just Gertrude that Hamlet hated, he would have said frailty, thy name is Gertrude. After Hamlet spoke to the Ghost and found out that Gertrude might have been involved with Claudius before King Hamlet died, Hamlet’s animosity for his mother grew. In Shakespeare A to Z, Charles Boyce states, “Hamlet’s detestation of his mother’s part in these evils is transformed into a revulsion against women in general and against the love-and sex- that they offer, which lead only to the creation of more humanity and thus more wickedness.” Hamlet might have suspected that his mother had something to do with his father’s death since she married the man that killed him. His motives also could have been filled with hatred because he could have been convinced that Gertrude and Claudius were intimate before his father was
Hamlet became more cynical about the women in his life. Hamlet’s hatred for his mother grew even further when he found out that Gertrude married his father’s murderer. Hamlet became disgusted by the Queen embracing Claudius because she never mourned the death of the king. Hamlet exclaims, “Frailty, thy name is woman” (1.2.11). Hamlet’s statement can stem more to his hatred of all women, since he says thy name is woman. Since Hamlet was known to be an intelligent man, if it was just Gertrude that Hamlet hated, he would have said frailty, thy name is Gertrude. After Hamlet spoke to the Ghost and found out that Gertrude might have been involved with Claudius before King Hamlet died, Hamlet’s animosity for his mother grew. In Shakespeare A to Z, Charles Boyce states, “Hamlet’s detestation of his mother’s part in these evils is transformed into a revulsion against women in general and against the love-and sex- that they offer, which lead only to the creation of more humanity and thus more wickedness.” Hamlet might have suspected that his mother had something to do with his father’s death since she married the man that killed him. His motives also could have been filled with hatred because he could have been convinced that Gertrude and Claudius were intimate before his father was