Introduction
This research paper will analyze William Shakespeare’s classic play Hamlet through the lens of feminist literary criticism. Feminist criticism examines how literature portrays women and gender roles, and how it reinforces or challenges societal assumptions. Hamlet offers a wealth of material to analyze from a feminist perspective, as its portrayal of gender impacts many of the key themes and character developments in the play.
Through close reading and analysis of key scenes and characters, this paper will argue that Hamlet presents a traditionally patriarchal society in which male characters exert dominance and control over female characters. It also shows this patriarchal structure beginning to fracture, as characters like Hamlet and Ophelia subvert traditional gender expectations. Their struggles reflect tensions between the old and emerging views of gender that were taking shape in Elizabethan England during Shakespeare’s time. Overall, this paper will use feminist literary criticism to gain new insights into Hamlet’s exploration of madness, revenge, and the social order.
Analysis
One of the clearest illustrations of patriarchy in Hamlet is the character of Polonius and his relationship with his daughter Ophelia. From the very beginning of the play, Polonius treats Ophelia like a possession, instructing her that “I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth/ Have you so slander any moment leisure” (1.3. 120-121). He asserts total control over her actions and behaviors. When Hamlet appears to lose interest in Ophelia, Polonius instantly assumes it must be due to something lacking in her, saying “I will question you of your acquaintance” (2.1.108), effectively blaming her.
Polonius’ dismissive treatment of Ophelia reflects the prevailing Elizabethan social order, in which unmarried women were under the complete authority of their father. As a woman, Ophelia has no independent agency or self-determination – she exists only in relation to the men in her life who see her as a social and political object rather than a person in her own right. This reduces her to a mere pawn that Hamlet and Polonius manipulate in their schemes. Her madness and eventual death can be seen as a rejection and critique of this stifling patriarchal system that allows no fulfillment or freedom for women.
In contrast to Polonius’ harsh patriarchal control over Ophelia stands Hamlet himself, who subverts traditional gender roles in many ways. From the beginning, Hamlet is depicted in what were considered feminine terms – as “so excellently happy in the nature of his travel, that he seems to have those four spirits/ That present men at all times” (1.4.9-11). His black clothing, introspective nature, and emotional volatility were all seen as womanly traits in Elizabethan England. Hamlet is a paradox – simultaneously embodying masculine authority as the Prince of Denmark yet exhibiting qualities that destabilize strict gender binaries.
Hamlet’s changing relationship with Ophelia further complicates traditional ideas of masculinity. His love letters and gift for Ophelia in the beginning show affection and desire, traits that were considered acceptable in moderation for Renaissance men. After his meeting with the Ghost, Hamlet rejects Ophelia harshly, accusing all women of being deceitful and unable to keep secrets. This rejection crystallizes his new view that the female sex is inherently sinful and corrupting. At the same time, Hamlet’s repudiation of Ophelia allows him to assert dominance and control over her in a masculinized way, just as her father does. Hamlet both complies with and challenges prevailing conceptions of gender through his complicated, multi-faceted character.
The character of Gertrude provides further evidence of Hamlet’s ambiguity regarding traditional masculinity and femininity. Hamlet is disgusted by his mother’s apparent sexuality and remarriage to his uncle, which he sees as a betrayal. Yet in Act 3 Scene 4, when Hamlet confronts his mother in her private chambers, he takes on a distinctly feminine role – intruding into her private, domestic sphere and berating her as if policing her femininity. By doing so, Hamlet blurs gender lines and takes on a maternal, almost mothering tone as he chastises Gertrude. This subverts typical patriarchal assumptions of women’s proper place within the domestic realm and of masculinity’s association with the public sphere. In upsetting gender categories, Hamlet enacts a type of symbolic feminism that destabilizes the patriarchal power structure.
Throughout the play, Hamlet seems torn between performing a traditional masculine role of heir and avenger against his uncle Claudius on one hand, versus expressing himself through emotional outbursts and philosophizing that defied stereotypical Elizabethan gender norms for men. His delays in avenging his father’s death have been read as evidence of his unsuitability to exercise patriarchal power and authority as King, due to his complex, ambiguous approach to gender overall. Hamlet uses his position as the heir to critique and subvert patriarchal assumptions even as he uncertainly tries to operate within that system, pointing to wider shifts underway in Renaissance England regarding conceptions of gender and power.
Conclusion
This paper has analyzed William Shakespeare’s Hamlet through the lens of feminist literary criticism to gain new understandings of its core themes. A close reading of characters like Polonius, Ophelia, Hamlet, Gertrude, and their interactions, illustrates the patriarchal social order portrayed in the play, as well as ways that order faces challenges and transformations. Most centrally, Hamlet himself proves to be ambiguous and subversive in his approach to masculinity and femininity, at once conforming to gender stereotypes expected of a prince while also rejecting them through emotional displays and intrusions into others’ gendered spaces.
As such, Hamlet serves as an intriguing reflection of shifting conceptions of gender that were taking place during Shakespeare’s time in Elizabethan England as it transitioned from the medieval period into the early modern era. Through its probing of characters that both comply with and destabilize expected gender roles and social structures, the play offers insights into tensions between patriarchal norms and emerging individualism. Overall, this paper has demonstrated how applying a feminist critical lens to Shakespeare’s classic tragedy reveals new depths and modern relevance regarding its exploration of gender, power, and social change.
Andrew Stroud