Masculinity and Femininity Observed in Essay

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When Hamlet hands the kingdom over to Fortinbras at the end of the play, we see the importance of Fortinbras' character.

The masculine and the feminine are at odds in Hamlet. Gertrude represents a side of the female that is questionable at best. While we never know what Gertrude knew regarding the King's death, we also do not know what she knew about many things. Her role in the play is significant but strange nevertheless. Hamlet believes Gertrude to be incestuous and he is outraged by her behavior. She is "pernicious" (1.5.105), disloyal, and incapable of being selfless and these are qualities that he attaches to a good mother. Hamlet thus believes his mother to be a maternal failure. It should be noted that while we might not know much about Gertrude, she is a woman that speaks her mind and appears to be practical when it comes to maintaining her self. Gertrude also loves Hamlet in a way that he cannot see because his muddles emotional state. The feminine is displayed in Gertrude in a way that causes Hamlet angst. Femininity is also represented through Ophelia, whose madness appears to be gender specific. Her madness is much different from that of Hamlet and we are reminded of the hysteria that is often attached to the female. Ophelia exhibits strange physical behavior with her madness as she "beats her heart" (4.5.5). She is a woman that is isolated within her own community and essentially helpless. Ophelia becomes a double for Hamlet and her madness is contrasted with his to demonstrate the difference between real madness and fake madness. Hamlet, in his madness is clever and witty while Ophelia is not. He has fun with his madness while Ophelia genuinely suffers.

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It is important to note that Hamlet treats both of the women in his life with contempt. If we look into why Hamlet does this, we could easily say that Gertrude's behavior pushes him to do so. Hamlet cannot reconcile what has happened and we must wonder if he actually wants to attempt to figure Gertrude out. He is too lost and Ophelia is simply a victim of this attitude toward women. Gertrude has forced him to a general disrespect for women, telling Ophelia, "Frailty, they name is women" (I.ii.151). He is projecting his disdain on Ophelia as she is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Hamlet's internal struggle is complex and intriguing, accounting for the character's popularity. His struggle can be broken down into aspects that deal with masculinity and femininity since he is prodded from the beginning of the play to be a man. His inability to act swiftly becomes something he detests in himself and that self-loathing can be linked to his anger toward Gertrude. His animosity toward Gertrude causes his merciless treatment of Ophelia. These emotions are linked to one another and they demonstrate how Hamlet struggled with his own identity in relation to the women in his life. Because he could not act as he knew he should, he began to see himself as weak, like the women in his life. His hatred turns inward and, as a result, Hamlet has nowhere from which he can find solace. The play brings to light issues regarding what we see as masculine and feminine in relation to the sexes and forces us to ask if notions we attach the these aspects of character do more harm than good.

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