Hamlet's misogyny and the murder of his father

Hamlet's Attitude Towards Women

Hamlet is a play that has received a wide range of criticism and interpretation in the academic world. As the critic a.C. Bradley wrote, the character of Hamlet, "...has been the subject of more discussion than any other in the whole literature of the world" (Bradley, "Shakespearean Tragedy," 90). Hamlet is a complex and subtle play and has been interpreted from many perspectives; including sociological, psychological and philosophical points-of-view. This has also led to views about the actions of Hamlet that include Freudian perceptions and more philosophical and existential interpretations of his character.

One of the central areas of discussion in the literature is Hamlet's attitude towards women. Many critics have commented on Hamlet's seemingly strange and often overtly aggressive attitude towards characters like Ophelia. However, understanding Hamlet's view of women necessities a thorough understanding of the central themes of the play and cannot be seen in isolation from the larger issues that drive his actions. In essence, Hamlet's view of women is driven by the father's murder that is linked to his mother's untimely marriage to his Uncle.

2. Gertrude and Ophelia

The play revolves around Hamlet's obsession with the murder of his father, and his desire and need for revenge. From Hamlet's perspective, Claudius has not only killed his father, the King, but has also usurped his throne and married his mother. The core of Hamlet's view of women is based on the view that his mother was somehow complicit in the murder or at least sexually willing to marry Claudius. This appalls and horrifies Hamlet at the deepest psychological and existential level and result in his " madness" and his behavior towards characters like Ophelia.

The female characters in the play are, to a large extent, the driving force and the impetus behind the tragedy of the main character. Hamlet is driven to his actions by the existential crisis within himself. The fact that his mother is involved in a sexual relationship with his father's murderer in effect "unhinges" Hamlet and his actions become a combination of cunning plans to expose his mother and Claudius, and his own growing insanity.

It should also be noted that the thoughts and actions of Hamlet with regard to women should also be seen against the larger philosophical interpretation of the play. The Queen and Claudius become symbols of the larger corruption in the world. Before he meets the ghost, Hamlet is already deeply disturbed by the marriage between Claudius and his mother so soon after his father's death and this marriage is seen by Hamlet to represent all that is wrong with nature and the universe.

This can be seen in his first soliloquy in act 1.Scene 11; where he expresses a sense of profound depression at the existential meaningless of life. His mind is filed with suicidal thoughts and the view of the emptiness of life.

"How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world!" (1. ii. 133-134) the central concern that precipitates these thoughts is the remarriage of his mother to his uncle, which he sees as "rank and gross" (1.ii.136). Therefore, the character of Queen Gertrude becomes a symbol for Hamlet of all betrayal and gross sensuality, which contrasts with the ideal image of the mother.

He perceives Gertrude as the instigator of the marriage, as rushing "With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!" (1.ii. 157).

Later Hamlet feels bound to revenge his father's death but this means that he must also to a certain extent destroy his mother and reveal her as a " whore." This situation creates intense conflict within Hamlet. It can be argued that is his perception of the awful betrayal of the mother even more than the father's murder that drives him "insane." This leads inevitably to the final tragic scenes of the play. Hamlet's attitude towards the other female characters in the play, such as Ophelia is shaped by the distrust of women that is engendered by the mother's actions.

Many critics have noted the strange and extreme attitude that Hamlet has towards women in general. As one critic notes,

...there is a distinctive pattern in Hamlet's language and behaviour whenever he is thinking about or dealing with Ophelia and Gertrude in fact, Hamlet's peculiarly aggressive and often cynical view of these two women and, beyond them, of women in general, is an important indication of the general unhealthiness of Hamlet's character.

3. Conclusion

Therefore, in the final analysis it can be argued that the suspicion of betrayal and the lack of propriety in Gertrude's early marriage to Claudius shape Hamlet's view women. However, the play is never simple and there are many complex and problematic aspects that could be considered in an assessment of Hamlet's character. What should also not be forgotten is the underlying philosophical aspect and the view that the world is without meaning, which also influences Hamlet's view of women.

Anther aspect that denies any easy and simplistic understanding of Hamlet's attitude to women is that his father's ghost does not instruct him to place any real blame on the Queen. From this perspective Gertrude is seen as an essentially virtuous woman who has been beguiled by Claudius, who "with witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts... won to his shameful lust " the "will" of Gertrude (1.5.42-6). The nature of this profound work of art therefore means that critical views and discussion of Hamlet's nature and actions will remain an open-ended question.