How far do Gertrude and Ophelia prove the validity of Hamlet’s observation on the frailty of women?
Hamlet is a notable literary work by William Shakespeare. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Hamlet.
Answer
How far do Gertrude and Ophelia prove the validity of Hamlet’s observation on the frailty of women?
or, Discuss the representation of women in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
or What do Gertrude and Ophelia represent in Hamlet?
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is known to the literature world as the sun of English literature. “Hamlet” (1603) is one of the steps in his literary career to be the sun. We will discuss Hamlet’s observation of the frailty of women based on the two female characters, Gertrude and Ophelia.
What is Frailty: Frailty? It means weakness and lack of health. By the word “frailty”, Hamlet means that women are morally and mentally weak. According to Hamlet, another name for women is frailty. This comment comes from the bitterness of his mother, Gertrude. Old Hamlet, the former king of Denmark, died about a month ago. His mother remarries his uncle, Claudius. Through the dialogues of Hamlet, we can understand that Gertrude should not have married very soon. Hamlet cannot endure this.
Old Hamlet’s Order: The Ghost of Old Hamlet demands revenge but tells Hamlet not to go against his mother. He describes Gertrude as merely weak and lustful. The ghost tells him to focus his revenge entirely on Claudius. In Act 3 Scene 4, Hamlet accuses his mother of the murder of his father. Hamlet considers his mother a partial plotter against his father, as the ghost describes her as a lustful woman. He says that-
“A bloody deed-almost as bad, good mother,
As kill a king and marry with his brother”
But Gertrude replies soon to him by exclaiming, “As kill a king!”
It shows that Gertrude has no part in the murder of Old Hamlet. However, it will not be rejected that Gertrude is the indirect murderer of Old Hamlet because Claudius uses her. For this reason, we can treat her as victimized.
Gertrude Means Frailty: Now, the question is raised about whether Gertrude is responsible for Hamlet’s observation of women. Many critics say that GertrudeUnlock this study guide now