Shakespeare condemns the frailty of women in Hamlet and sees it as a continuing thorn in man’s side. The only two women in Hamlet are portrayed as weak and foolish victims of bigotry and sexual repression who are dependant on the male characters surrounding them.

This essay aims to analyse the five main characters, Hamlet, Ophelia, Claudius, Gertrude and Polonius, and examine how they interact, using a Feminist Reading.

Each character’s individual traits, their personality, in particular, their sexual identity and relationships with others takes the majority of the storyline.

Hamlets traits could best be described by what he is not; he is not the king, nor is he a loyal subject. He plays many roles throughout the play, alienated outsider, potential suicide, angry son, avenger and self-critic. The only constant feature of this turbulence is Hamlets sexual identity. Hamlet loves and hates both women close to him.

He is a severely puritanical fanatic in regards to love and lovemaking. He reacts m

Hamlet: “It would cost you a groaning to take off mine edge.” (III, II, 225 – 226)

Some topics in this essay:
Feminist Reading, Polonius King’s, III IV, God Hamlet, III II, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet Hamlet, Hamlet Claudius, Hamlet Ophelia, Gertrude Ophelia, iii ii, male characters, loves hates, king hamlet, portrayed weak, sexual repression, madness caused, hamlet ophelia, ophelia portrayed, claudius gertrude,