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Hamlet - Gender - Coggle Diagram

- - - - this may merely represent Hamlet's disgust at his mother's own sexuality
      - could alternatively be representative of how she hangs on to the men around her, to give her purpose and stability
- - - - Polonius repeats the language of Ophelia critically when he says '...you'll tender me a fool'. the use of 'tender' undermines Ophelia's point and also shows how he views her as a product, as this is mercantile language
      - this is emphasised by Polonius saying 'I'll loose my daughter' which suggests he views her only as a sellable commodity
      - moreover, 'loose' has connotations of breeding, as you loose a mare. this highlights how Ophelia is only valued for her virginity
      - indeed, in this time, virgins were the most valuable in marriage, in order to ensure pure bloodlines. this is why virginity is referred to as a 'chaste treasure' by Laertes
      - this emphasises Lacan's point, when he refers to Ophelia as 'that piece of bait'
    - - Indeed, suicide by drowning was considered feminine, as water was 'the female element' (Showalter), compared to the masculine aridity
      - this is because it resembled feminine tears, due to the 'strong emotions elizabethans thought womanish' (Showalter)
      - this reinforces Showalter's view that Ophelia drowned 'in a surfeit of feeling'
      - However, one interpretation suggests that Ophelia's suicide was a kind of rebellion, in order to regain some agency lost due to her gender
        
        in going mad, Ophelia rebelled against the system, bringing shame to her family of men that had mistreated her
        
        'the madwoman is a heroine, a powerful figure' (Showalter)
        
        moreover, suicide was an even greater offence, as it meant the catholic burial rites could not be read
        
        it was 'an offence against God, against the King, and against nature' (Dalton)
        
        suicide was considered a huge sin, as it blasphemously suggested that God couldn't save you
        
        Ophelia's madness and suicide - or 'felonia de seipso' (an offence against yourself) - was a rebellion in order to regain some power
      - Ophelia only commits suicide when the men around her have failed her, when Hamlet has 'deceived' her and when Claudius has died, and Laertes left
      - 'Ophelia literally has no story without Hamlet' (Edwards)
      - this is represented by Laertes' own comment on his tears when he laments Ophelia's death: 'when these are gone, the woman will be out'
- - - - 'get thee to a nunnery!'
        
        Hamlet says this to Ophelia, and it has elicited much debate amongst critics due to the dual meaning of 'nunnery' at this time
        
        of course, it could simply mean a 'nunnery' as Hamlet wishes for Ophelia to be chaste, and not exploit her feminine power to seduce and weaken men
        
        this shows how Hamlet views her as deceitful, and only a sexual being, as she is a woman, and her body is all that matters
        
        however, Ophelia says that she 'was the more deceived' due to Hamlet's mistreatment of her
        
        this could imply that they had premarital sex, which would have completely devalued Ophelia as a bride, rendering her without purpose in this society, as virigins were desirable.
        
        Therefore, Hamlet's mistreatment and use of Ophelia has channelled itself into a hatred for her, as he is aware of his own mistake
        
        It would have had no negative effect on Hamlet, so perhaps this is Shakespeare's political commentary on the double standards at this time.
        
        However, at this time, 'nunnery' could also mean brothel.
        
        this use first appeared in 'Christ's teares over Jerusalem' in 1593
        
        this could similarly suggest that Hamlet views Ophelia as merely a sexual object, denoting her worth to merely her body
        
        both interpretations showcase the mistreatment and misogyny of Hamlet, as he merely views Ophelia as related to her sexuality and fertility, rather than her thoughts or agency
      - However, another interpretation suggests that Ophelia is used to represent the female version of Hamlet
        
        this is reinforced by the similarities between them: they are both suicidal and display signs of madness
        
        Moreover, the very fact that 'Ophelia literally has no story without Hamlet' (Edwards), implies that she was merely used as a mechanism by Shakespeare to strengthen Hamlet's own story
        
        this is further scaffolded by the fact that Showalter highlights how there is no backstory to Ophelia, yet Hamlet is afforded the backstory of Wittenberg, the death of his father, and his former friends such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern appearing
        
        Hamlet resents his feminine qualities, and this is displayed by his mistreatment of Ophelia, and his general revulsion towards all women