The Role Of Women In Shakespeare's Hamlet

Women are considered as subservient to men during the history. Even when a powerful woman in England, who is Elizabeth I, controlled England from 1558 to 1603, women were still treated as subordinate to men. Shakespeare is a poet and playwright who reflects the status of women in the Elizabethan era in his works.
The tragic play Hamlet is one of the most important plays written by Shakespeare in the Middle Ages and which has resonated greatly by the public and critics throughout the ages. This play has gone through three stages of development. It is derived from the story of the American historian of the thirteenth century (Saxo Graematics), who spoke about Hamlet and the story of his revenge. Shakespeare's version is more tragic and affected by the middle ages. Gertrude and Ophelia are the only two female characters of "Hamlet" by Shakespeare. These female characters of different social status struggle the same fact of being marginalized voices in their society. They are mistreated by men, silent, …show more content…
She is a state of idealism, pureness and beauty, in an atmosphere of conflict and intrigue. She has four roles in her life: as a daughter of Polonius, a sister of Laertes, a lover of Hamlet, Ophelia herself. As a female in the Shakespearean period she is expected to be under the control of the men all of her life as a daughter, a sister, a wife or a mother. The patriarchal society controlled her emotions, actions and words. Polonius, who is her father, is the one who raised Ophelia because her mother is died. He keeps controls her life till his death. He teaches her to be silent and obedient because that what women should be. If she rarely speaks with her father, she has to show much respect and adoration to him. For example, in act 1. scene3. she says to her father “so please you…my lord…I do not know, my lord, what should I think…I shall obey, my