there's no prompt...my english teacher gave us the freedom to write about anything from the play as long as we prove a valid argument. just a word of warning...this is my first draft. hence, it is quite rough and needs lots of work. don't hesitate to rip it apart. THANKS!!!
Victims of Patriarchy: Hamlet
Shakespeare crafts character foils to establish the evident gender inequality between men and women in his tragedy, Hamlet. The young and pure Ophelia, and Gertrude, an aged victim of corruption, represent females as second-class citizens. Conversely, Hamlet, a prince with a promising future, and the unjust King Claudius both play dominant roles, accentuating the value of patriarchy in society. However, the focus of foiling characters is not only to highlight misogyny in Renaissance society but also mainly to further expose mankind as morally weak, vulnerable to corruption. The juxtaposition of Ophelia to Hamlet in Shakespeare's Hamlet argues ambition corrupts men and women to overlook the value of morality to thrive in a patriarchal society.
Ambition to survive in a patriarchal society ultimately corrupts women into selling their souls and futures to men. Shakespeare intentionally depicts Ophelia as a virgin who lacks an individual voice and heeds all authority, robotically acquiescing to Polonius forbidding her relationship with Hamlet. At the heart of this scene, Ophelia is forced to choose between two patriarchs: her father Polonius or love interest Hamlet. Because she realizes Hamlet's "will is not his own" (I.iii.20), that pursuing a future together with Hamlet is a risk not worth selling her purity to, Ophelia ultimately chooses Polonius over Hamlet for stability. This entire thought process, driven by her ambition to find stability and survive in this patriarchal structure, illustrates that "her will is not her own". She is bound by the shackles of patriarchy to forsake her individuality and succumb to a man, to depend on her stable father. While the father and daughter duo speak concerning her future, Ophelia's succinct response lacking personality, "I shall obey, my Lord" (I.iii.145), preceding Polonius' wordy speech, evidences Ophelia's defeated tone. This line clearly indicates Ophelia has chosen Polonius, sold her future to Polonius, and sacrificed a meaningful relationship with Hamlet, simply to secure her father's support and approval. The formal phrase "my Lord" lacks the bond of intimacy between a father and daughter, characterizing their relationship as strictly business-based. Polonius, in attempt to uncover the source of Hamlet's madness, drags his faithful and innocent daughter into corruption along with him by "losing [his] daughter to him" (II.ii.177). Consequently, "the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd" (III.i.121), corrupting the innocent Ophelia into a deceitful woman. She willingly spies on Hamlet, at the request of Polonius, and never objects. By rendering unlimited support to her undoubtedly corrupted father, Ophelia becomes morally corrupt, a deceitful spy, and instrument of her father's evil schemes. Ultimately, her descent into madness is not to mourn the death of a beloved father; she laments the loss of a business partner, one she depends on. Her ambition to survive in a patriarchal society unfortunately not only deprives her of individuality and a say in her future but also turns her against morality.
Ambition, a byproduct of the patriarchal structure, corrupts men to forsake morality to gain self-satisfaction. This tragedy, on the most basic level, outlines Hamlet's internal struggles of finding motivation and ambition to carry through with his plan to save his father's soul from suffering by murdering Claudius. Desperate for answers and comfort, Hamlet voluntarily risks his life and follows after the ghost, bellowing "I'll call thee, 'Hamlet', 'King', 'Father, 'Royal Dane'" (I.iv.50). These terms of endearment reflect Prince Hamlet's affection and devotion for his father. Furthermore, Hamlet speaks in a revering tone, characterizing King Hamlet as an accomplished individual, undeserving of purgatory. As a son, Hamlet is determined to save his father out of love; however, as a human, Hamlet struggles to forsake his morality and become a "bloody bawdy villain" (II.ii.607). Instead, he insults himself as "a dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak like a John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause" (II.ii.595) because he is forced to choose from one of two options: honor his father one last time by freeing his soul or obey his moral compass. Nonetheless, Hamlet's encounters with existentialism in Act 4 drive him over the edge, culminating in his decision to forsake his morality to honor his beloved father. Since Hamlet reasons that murdering Polonius is "almost as bad as killing a king and marrying with his brother", Shakespeare illustrates Hamlet's sense of morality as black and white. By exaggerating the immorality of incest, Hamlet inadvertently displays his undervaluing life. To Hamlet, life is a fragile "eggshell" (IV.iv.56), vulnerable to cracking unpredictably, a reflection of existentialist ideals. Killing Claudius and talking with the Captain of Norway tip Hamlet over the edge to vow that his "thought be bloody or be nothing worth" (IV.iv.69), marking his decision to honor his father by forsaking his moral compass. Ultimately, Hamlet successfully murders Claudius, killing many other innocent lives in the process. His final line after killing Claudius, "the rest is silence" (V.ii.395), illustrates peace of mind knowing King Hamlet has been freed from purgatory. This final line characterizes Hamlet as a selfish individual who sought revenge to simply find closure and self-satisfaction, as a son who heroically and ambitiously saves his father, at the cost of others' lives.
Every character in Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, is a victim of patriarchy and corruption: Hamlet's ambition to save his beloved father results in innocent deaths, Ophelia becomes a deceitful spy to please her father, Gertrude commits incest to maintain royalty, and Claudius murders his brother to gain glory and become the ultimate patriarch of Denmark. Even though patriarchy supposedly favors men over women, it ironically leads men into moral corruption. Shakespeare, without a doubt argues women are victims of patriarchy, but further expounds on the idea that men, like women, are vulnerable to corruption because mankind is naturally ambitious. Escaping moral corruption, caused by ambition in a patriarchal society, may have seemed impossible during the Renaissance era but has progressed for the better since then.
Victims of Patriarchy: Hamlet
Shakespeare crafts character foils to establish the evident gender inequality between men and women in his tragedy, Hamlet. The young and pure Ophelia, and Gertrude, an aged victim of corruption, represent females as second-class citizens. Conversely, Hamlet, a prince with a promising future, and the unjust King Claudius both play dominant roles, accentuating the value of patriarchy in society. However, the focus of foiling characters is not only to highlight misogyny in Renaissance society but also mainly to further expose mankind as morally weak, vulnerable to corruption. The juxtaposition of Ophelia to Hamlet in Shakespeare's Hamlet argues ambition corrupts men and women to overlook the value of morality to thrive in a patriarchal society.
Ambition to survive in a patriarchal society ultimately corrupts women into selling their souls and futures to men. Shakespeare intentionally depicts Ophelia as a virgin who lacks an individual voice and heeds all authority, robotically acquiescing to Polonius forbidding her relationship with Hamlet. At the heart of this scene, Ophelia is forced to choose between two patriarchs: her father Polonius or love interest Hamlet. Because she realizes Hamlet's "will is not his own" (I.iii.20), that pursuing a future together with Hamlet is a risk not worth selling her purity to, Ophelia ultimately chooses Polonius over Hamlet for stability. This entire thought process, driven by her ambition to find stability and survive in this patriarchal structure, illustrates that "her will is not her own". She is bound by the shackles of patriarchy to forsake her individuality and succumb to a man, to depend on her stable father. While the father and daughter duo speak concerning her future, Ophelia's succinct response lacking personality, "I shall obey, my Lord" (I.iii.145), preceding Polonius' wordy speech, evidences Ophelia's defeated tone. This line clearly indicates Ophelia has chosen Polonius, sold her future to Polonius, and sacrificed a meaningful relationship with Hamlet, simply to secure her father's support and approval. The formal phrase "my Lord" lacks the bond of intimacy between a father and daughter, characterizing their relationship as strictly business-based. Polonius, in attempt to uncover the source of Hamlet's madness, drags his faithful and innocent daughter into corruption along with him by "losing [his] daughter to him" (II.ii.177). Consequently, "the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd" (III.i.121), corrupting the innocent Ophelia into a deceitful woman. She willingly spies on Hamlet, at the request of Polonius, and never objects. By rendering unlimited support to her undoubtedly corrupted father, Ophelia becomes morally corrupt, a deceitful spy, and instrument of her father's evil schemes. Ultimately, her descent into madness is not to mourn the death of a beloved father; she laments the loss of a business partner, one she depends on. Her ambition to survive in a patriarchal society unfortunately not only deprives her of individuality and a say in her future but also turns her against morality.
Ambition, a byproduct of the patriarchal structure, corrupts men to forsake morality to gain self-satisfaction. This tragedy, on the most basic level, outlines Hamlet's internal struggles of finding motivation and ambition to carry through with his plan to save his father's soul from suffering by murdering Claudius. Desperate for answers and comfort, Hamlet voluntarily risks his life and follows after the ghost, bellowing "I'll call thee, 'Hamlet', 'King', 'Father, 'Royal Dane'" (I.iv.50). These terms of endearment reflect Prince Hamlet's affection and devotion for his father. Furthermore, Hamlet speaks in a revering tone, characterizing King Hamlet as an accomplished individual, undeserving of purgatory. As a son, Hamlet is determined to save his father out of love; however, as a human, Hamlet struggles to forsake his morality and become a "bloody bawdy villain" (II.ii.607). Instead, he insults himself as "a dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak like a John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause" (II.ii.595) because he is forced to choose from one of two options: honor his father one last time by freeing his soul or obey his moral compass. Nonetheless, Hamlet's encounters with existentialism in Act 4 drive him over the edge, culminating in his decision to forsake his morality to honor his beloved father. Since Hamlet reasons that murdering Polonius is "almost as bad as killing a king and marrying with his brother", Shakespeare illustrates Hamlet's sense of morality as black and white. By exaggerating the immorality of incest, Hamlet inadvertently displays his undervaluing life. To Hamlet, life is a fragile "eggshell" (IV.iv.56), vulnerable to cracking unpredictably, a reflection of existentialist ideals. Killing Claudius and talking with the Captain of Norway tip Hamlet over the edge to vow that his "thought be bloody or be nothing worth" (IV.iv.69), marking his decision to honor his father by forsaking his moral compass. Ultimately, Hamlet successfully murders Claudius, killing many other innocent lives in the process. His final line after killing Claudius, "the rest is silence" (V.ii.395), illustrates peace of mind knowing King Hamlet has been freed from purgatory. This final line characterizes Hamlet as a selfish individual who sought revenge to simply find closure and self-satisfaction, as a son who heroically and ambitiously saves his father, at the cost of others' lives.
Every character in Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, is a victim of patriarchy and corruption: Hamlet's ambition to save his beloved father results in innocent deaths, Ophelia becomes a deceitful spy to please her father, Gertrude commits incest to maintain royalty, and Claudius murders his brother to gain glory and become the ultimate patriarch of Denmark. Even though patriarchy supposedly favors men over women, it ironically leads men into moral corruption. Shakespeare, without a doubt argues women are victims of patriarchy, but further expounds on the idea that men, like women, are vulnerable to corruption because mankind is naturally ambitious. Escaping moral corruption, caused by ambition in a patriarchal society, may have seemed impossible during the Renaissance era but has progressed for the better since then.
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