The Impertinence Towards the Women of Hamlet and Why
“Use every man after his desert, and who should ‘scape whipping” (J.C. 54) William Shakespeare wrote this line for Hamlet which fundamentally says that you should be treated the way you deserve to be treated. Shakespeare does not continue this theme throughout the play because Hamlet does not treat the women in his life the way they deserve. With only the presence of only two women in this Greek tragedy, it makes you ponder about why both women were treated with such disrespect. William Shakespeare and Hamlet both have issues with women.
Hamlet, he had been too quick to take the burden of the whole world and its condition upon his limited and finite self (Harbage 56). So he had to take his anger out on someone and Ophelia was there at the right time. This affected Hamlet’s relationship with Ophelia, making it toxic. He constantly belittled her. In the text it says, “Get thee to a nunnery…” (Hamlet 55) This is not just exceedingly maligning to Ophelia, it is insulting to all women. You can not call someone promiscuous for no apparent reason. Hamlet took ascendancy of…show more content… Shakespeare had two sisters who died young (Shakespeare’s Life). Dealing which a death in your family is incredibly hard to handle, especially when you are of young age. The only women that was in Shakespeare’s life was his mother, other than her he was surrounded by his father and three younger brothers (Shakespeare’s Life). When Shakespeare grew up he married Anne Hathaway. Anne Hathaway moved away and deserted her husband (Shakespeare’s Life). Shakespeare most likely felt abandoned by Anne Hathaway because rejection is devastating. Shakespeare has resentment towards women, and the topic of women causes him emotional pain. With the hard feelings of the women in his life, it makes him disrespectful toward women. The disrespect toward women clearly shows in
