Women Flashcards
What misogynistic language is used in Hamlets soliloquy Act 2 Scene 2?
“Like a whore, unpack my heart with words”
Why did Ophelia go mad?
Give 2 interpretations?
- She went mad because of the loss of dominant men in her life
- Feminist lens eg Elaine Showalter - she went mad with guilt at secretly wishing that her father would be killed by Hamlet - highlights the sexism of the time
What quotes suggest that Ophelia’s virginity is linked to monetary value?
“Your chaste treasure”
“….these tenders for true pay Which are not sterling”
Suggests that she will decrease in value if she loses her virginity - reflects badly on family
Ophelia is patronised
“You think yourself a _____”
“You speak like a _____”
“You do not _________”
Ophelia is patronised
“You think yourself a baby”
“You speak like a green girl”
“You do not understand yourself so clearly”
What does Ophelia’s madness allow her to do?
- A rejection of the male hierarchy - she is finally given a voice, and under the mask of madness, can finally speak her mind - EG the scene with the flowers
What are the 4 categories of women?
Virgins, wives, widows and whores
Gertrude goes through all 4
How are female characters presented in the play and why?
Usually quite underdeveloped and with significantly less lines - perhaps Shakespeare was doing this is a feminist protest against the sexism of his time
What was the name for a man who’s wife has cheated on him?
A cuckold
According to popular views of the time, what happened to a woman once she lost her virginity?
It was thought that they developed an uncontrollable desire for sex and therefore went mad
“Frailty thy _______”
What does this suggest?
“Frailty thy name is woman”
He suggests that because his mother is weak, therefore all women must also be weak - this is a very misogynistic view
“Oh most ________ speed to _______”
“In the rank _____ of an ________”
“Oh most wicked speed to incestuous sheets”
“In the rank sweat of an inseamed bed”
Obsession over his mothers sexuality, trying to restrict it
Oedipus complex
“The _________ is prodigal enough if she _______”
“The chariest made is prodigal enough if she unmask her beauty to the moon”
“I shall ____ my _____”
“I shall obey my lord”
Suggests submissiveness
“I’ll loose my daughter ________”
“I’ll loose my daughter to him”
Suggesting ownership
Shakespeare often writes about very strong women in his other plays, such as……., perhaps as a result of…
However, the women in Hamlet are weak
This is possibly because…..
Shakespeare often writes about very strong women in his other plays, such as Lady Macbeth, Rosalind, Beatrice, perhaps as a result of Queen Elizabeth, a strong, independent woman
However, the women in Hamlet are weak
This is possibly because Elizabeth was dying at the time that Hamlet was written
