Table of contentsIntroductionThe genre of madnessCourt life and the oppression of womenOpheliaConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionPast critics have considered Ophelia to be an insignificant character and marginal in Shakespeare's Hamlet, functioning only to further define Hamlet. One of these critics, Jacques Lacan, interprets Ophelia as a simple object of Hamlet's sexual desire: she is essential only because she is inextricably linked to Hamlet. Literary criticism denies Ophelia a story and purpose of her own and her character remains entirely dependent on Hamlet. Hamlet's suffering and madness constantly take center stage while Ophelia's madness and death are simply attributed to the weakness and fragility of her sex. Since then, feminist critics have responded to Lacan and other male critics and attempted to "tell" Ophelia's story, independent of Hamlet and the male perspective; but what is Ophelia's story, and does she have one?Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay As one feminist critic, Lee Edwards, admits: "We can imagine the story of Hamlet without Ophelia, but Ophelia literally has no story without Hamlet" (36). It could be argued that Shakespeare's masculinity affected his constructions of the feminine and that the presence of female characters in his plays only serves to reinforce stereotypes and better define male characters; or, even though Shakespeare was able to transcend the patriarchal ideology of his time, male-dominated criticism imposed these constructions on Shakespeare's female characters. Regardless, I disagree with Edwards' assertion that Ophelia does not have an independent and distinct story from Hamlet's. In this article, my goal is to dissolve these sexist representations of the feminine so that I can reconstruct Ophelia's oppressed identity within the patriarchal structure of modern society and reassess the importance of her character in the play. I take a feminist approach to my approach. article because I am interested in the study of feminist themes such as sexual objectification, gender roles and inequalities, and oppression in patriarchal society. This approach allows me to examine the role and experience of women in society. I am interested in the representation of womanhood in Hamlet, as well as the evolution of madness as a gendered construct and how this cultural stigma provides yet another means of defining gender roles. Additionally, as part of this approach, I hope to examine how the presence and omnipresence of spectacle in royal society pressured, and I would argue even demanded, the individuals living there to fulfill roles gender appropriate and behave according to social norms, because within the social hierarchy, those individuals at the top set the standard for the rest of society and thus maintained social order and normality. A feminist reading of Shakespeare's text illuminates the character of Ophelia and the distinctly gendered nature of her madness and death. Through this approach, I hope to redefine the character of Ophelia and her significance not only in the play, but also as a representative of the oppression of aristocratic women in modern society more generally. The Genre of Madness In this section, I focus particularly on what we might call the figurative. madness. Contrary to the literal meaning of the term, figurative madness has the potential to takevarious representational, symbolic and metaphorical meanings. In the political, patriarchal, royal society in which Shakespeare's Hamlet takes place, madness serves as a metaphor for sedition and subversion of authority and dominant ideologies (Salkeld) (Coddon). This results in political ambition among undisciplined men and women who have transcended the boundaries of their gender roles. When Ophelia is first introduced as mad in Act 4, Scene 5, she is constantly referred to as absent-minded or divided. Early in the act, the Gentleman remarks to the Queen, in reference to Ophelia, that “she is intrusive, even distracted” (4.5.2). The stage directions then inform the audience: “Enter Ophelia [distracted, hair down, playing the lute]” (4.5). Shortly after, the king notices Ophelia's departure, "poor Ophelia / Separated from herself and her just judgment" (4.5.83-4). Distracted is defined as “distracted; divided” or “mentally attracted to different objects; perplexed or confused in the face of conflicting interests” (OED). Shakespeare uses this term specifically to define the type of madness that affects Ophelia. His madness represents the division and conflict between his internal, private conceptions and the patriarchal ideology of the external culture imposed on him. Within this patriarchal and hierarchical society, the king served as a microcosm for the entire kingdom: this microcosm was represented mainly through the analogy of the body. Levinus Leminius describes this analogy in his work The Touchstone of Complexions: "All the members of the body are so bound and united together, and such participation and consent are between them, that if one of the smallest joynts, or the little toe is hurt or hurt, pained, the whole body is soggy and loses calm” (Salkeld 81). All members of society made up various parts of the king's body and contributed to the good health of the kingdom. Mad or seditious individuals threatened the health of the kingdom and had to be controlled or expurgated. In Hamlet, Rosencrantz offers another analogy of the king as microcosm: It is a massive wheel fixed on the summit of the highest mountain, to the [enormous] spokes of which ten thousand lesser things are mortified and adjoining, which when they fall. ,Each little annex, petty consequence,Assists of the noisy [ruin]. Never did the king sigh alone, but [with] a general groan (3.3.17-22). Similar to the idea of ​​the body and its parts, the king is here likened to a wheel and its spokes. In this passage is the idea that the interests of the monarch are synonymous with the interests of the entire kingdom, because all lower social beings are entirely dependent on him. These analogies, along with the notion of divine right, support the idea that the voice of authority naturally assumes the voice of supreme reason and reason. As Duncan Salkeld says in Madness and Drama in the Age of Shakespeare, "the king's body unified social relations and legitimized the hierarchy of degree that stratified these relations" (57). In other words, the king's body established specific social relations and prescribed corresponding identities to individuals; Since the creator of these social identities was the supreme voice of authority and reason, then any individual attempting to transcend or disrupt this order would be seen as crazy or distracted. Therefore, madness was seen as a threat to the Crown and signaled the “failures of sovereignty and reason” (Salkeld2). The depiction of Ophelia as distracted or divided in Shakespeare's Hamlet demonstrates the distinctly gendered nature of madness. Through madness, Ophélie confronts her identity anxieties in a patriarchal world and affirms her difference and her oppositionto masculine power. His perplexity and confusion come from the conflict that emerges from his dual identity: the one imposed on him by society and the other which emerges from his own person. Ophelia's oppressed identity temporarily surfaces when her lover goes crazy and is deported, her brother leaves for another country, and her father is murdered. The men closest to her who constantly shaped her identity have abandoned her and for once, she thinks for herself and explores her own identity. Carol Neely explores this concept in more detail in Distracted Subjects: Madness and Gender in Shakespeare and Early Modern Culture. She argues that madness was not a static concept but was evolving and undergoing widespread change in the early modern period: theater served as a catalyst to stimulate this change. The public stage served to teach the public to identify madness and to distinguish between different types of madness. Madness was represented in new ways, creating new subcategories of distracting conditions such as heartache and melancholy, which adopted altered gender associations. Neely states: “The gendered boundaries of the secular human subject were redefined through their dislocations and excesses” (2). Men were believed to be ruled by their intellect and rational thinking, while women, it was thought, were ruled only by their passions. Additionally, men's madness was associated with intellectual and imaginative genius, while women's madness was considered biological and emotional. These gender constructions are demonstrated in Shakespeare's Hamlet through the contrasting depictions of madness in the characters of Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet's madness is characterized primarily by his hyperactive intellect, as demonstrated by his witty wordplay. Polonius observes in a private conversation with him: "Though this be madness, yet there is a method in it" (2.2.203-4), and Guildenstern describes how Hamlet uses "cunning madness" to escape Guildenstern and Rosencrantz's attempts to identify the cause of his aberrant behavior. Furthermore, Hamlet's madness is not seen as biological and natural, but as something that transcends biology. His madness is more of a strategy than an involuntary disturbance. Hamlet warns Horatio and Marcellus at the beginning of the play that he might "adopt an antiquarian disposition" (1.5.172). This sentence suggests that Hamlet will act or present himself like a madman in order to get revenge. On the other hand, Ophélie's madness is based solely on an excess of emotion. Instead of witty puns, Ophelia expresses her madness through music (playing the lute) and singing. Furthermore, there is no indication that Ophelia "acts" like a madwoman, but rather her madness is described as natural or part of her nature. Ophelia's constant association with flowers, first when she distributes flowers to members of the court during her madness and then when the queen recounts Ophelia's death, connects Ophelia and her state to femininity and nature. Therefore, the representations of madness in Ophelia and Hamlet are clearly and distinctly gendered. Court Life and the Oppression of Women The presence and importance of spectacle in royal society pushed individuals to fulfill appropriate gender roles and behave according to social norms. I am interested in how spectacle was used by aristocratic society to maintain control over the lower classes and how this may have had other implications affecting the upper classes as well. If the masses were conditioned to learn visually through spectacle, then court society would inherit the heavy responsibility of displaying andto embody correct, traditional social behavior, including refusal of premarital sex, murder, and transcendence of typical gender roles. In Louis Montrose's book, The Purpose of Playing, he emphasizes the dual nature of subjectivity: "on the one hand, it shapes individuals as places of consciousness and, on the other hand, it positions them, motivates them and compels them within – she subdues them.” to them – social networks and cultural codes that are ultimately beyond their understanding or control” (16). Due to the social hierarchical order that was established in early modern society, certain behaviors, clothing, and other external and visible attributions were expected among the upper classes. course. Outward appearances and showmanship were necessary for the aristocracy to maintain its position as the ruling class. Especially in an era where social mobility was becoming more common, the upper classes in particular had to further redefine class boundaries to maintain separation and distinction. Expectations for behavior and conduct in early modern societies were decidedly sexist. Renaissance literature of conduct established certain rules for women's public and private behavior and described ideal feminine virtues, such as chastity, obedience, humility, and silence. Fathers and husbands were responsible for teaching and enforcing this prescriptive role for women. When we first see Ophelia in the play, she is being counseled first by her brother, Laertes, and then by her father, Polonius, regarding Hamlet's affection for her. This scene illustrates the role of men in teaching young women how to behave in society, including the importance of preserving their virtue.Polonius: Do you believe his offers, as you call them?Ophelia: I do not know, my lord, what I should think about.Polonius: Get married, I will teach you (1.3.103-05)Ophelia lacks reason and rational facilities which would allow her to think for herself; instead, she is depicted as a blank page on which the men in her life can write the stipulations of her identity. To all this, of course, Ophelia passively displays her obedience: “I will obey, my lord” (1.4.136). The social constraints placed on women created a distinction between what women were asked or expected of them and what they actually were. This divergence is expressed by Ophelia during her madness when she says to the king: “Lord, we know what we are, but we do not know what we can be” (4.5.43-4). Although this statement reveals Ophelia as a woman capable of recognizing the gender role imposed on her, some women have internalized the dominant ideology of their culture such that the external identity imposed on them has become synonymous with their internal identity. . The men of this era claimed to be able to distinguish good women from bad ones by external signs alone. For example, a woman who was full of words, loud, bold, impudent, shameless and made-up was considered a prostitute, while a woman who kept her true complexion and was sober in her mind, silent in her tongue and modesty of her face was considered good womanhood (Aughterson 96). The importance of outward appearance was key to a woman's identity. In Act 3, Scene 1, Polonius instructs Ophelia on how to act in Hamlet's presence: Ophelia, come with you here. —Gracious, then please, we will give ourselves. [To Ophelia.] Read this book, that the demonstration of such an exercise may color your [loneliness]. We are oftenguilty of this — it is too well proven — that with the face of devotion and pious action, we sugarcoat the devil himself (3.1.43-8). Religious piety was also a valued quality in a woman; however, as this situation shows, the outward representation of such piety was far more important than true inward devotion. The two most significant things to note in this passage are Polonius's use of the imperative and the references to affectation. The most comfortable way for Polonius to address his daughter is through imperative speech: "take you here", "Read this book" - either ordering or advising his daughter to act decisively. certain way. Polonius's speech is also imbued with affected dictions, such as "show", "color", "face" and "sugar o'er". This very clearly suggests that he is not so much concerned with his daughter's essential goodness and beauty as with the outward representation of herself. Although the importance of conduct and behavior was pervasive in society at all levels, it was especially crucial for women of the upper classes. course. The social structure of "the nation was regulated by obedience to a hierarchy of superiors up to the king": this included an internal hierarchy in the house where women and children obeyed the man of the house (Stone 21). The distinct stratification of different classes of men was important in maintaining social order, and outward expression and show, such as manners, clothing, and extravagant luxuries, were important in distinguishing classes. Aristocratic society was forced to spend considerable sums of money to maintain a lifestyle that the world did not expect of them. In a society based on spectacle and self-fashioning, an individual's outward appearance and possessions have become crucial to maintaining a higher order in society. The spectacle permeated early modern aristocratic culture and was used not only to display and display one's wealth, but also to maintain society. order and authority over the lower classes. Queen Elizabeth is one of the most famous entertainers. She believed in making herself known by traveling the country to show herself to her loving subjects and experience their hospitality. Elizabeth adorned herself in extravagant clothing and rich jewelry and participated in summer “progresses,” which were ceremonial trips or performances across her country. During these parades, the nobles welcomed her into their homes and flattered her with pleasures and expensive gifts. These occasional advances were extremely detrimental to the nobles living in the area, as the costs of entertaining the queen caused many of them to go bankrupt. romantic atmosphere, with music, dancing, plays, and elaborate disguised entertainments called masks” (Greenblatt, “General” 20). Elizabeth, who was initially deemed incapable of ruling because of her sex, managed to gain authority over her court and the country through this theatrical construct, called the "cult of love." The French ambassador, at the time of her reign, is said to have said of her: “She is a princess who can play any role she wants” (Greenblatt, “General” 21). Elizabeth would ask her subjects to address her with love poetry, and she would respond in this way as well1. Additionally, due to the enormous pressure placed on her to marry and find an heir, she feigned interest in a number of domestic and foreign suitors without any real desire to marry. In this way, Elizabeth used the spectacleto gain authority over his court and his country. If the spectacle became a tool allowing aristocrats to acquire authority, it also had rebound effects. Catherine Bates notes that from the 15th century, "the court became a conscious model for the exercise – social, bureaucratic and public – of royal hegemony" and that because it was "perceived as a center of political and cultural activity, the court became the object of intense scrutiny” (9). Because the upper class was associated with spectacle and therefore always "on stage", or in the limelight so to speak, for people to see and observe, it became a necessary responsibility for them to model correct and appropriate social behavior. Such rigid stipulations would limit sexual relationships, violent acts, gender roles, and other immoral and unconventional behaviors that could influence the masses to abandon the social order. Stephen Greenblatt, in his book Renaissance Self-Fashioning: More to Shakespeare, emphasizes "the politically chosen self-fashioning of elites who dramatize in their infinite variety of public manifestations these imaginary means by which power seeks to contain and to control the ever undisciplined body of society.” State." Although this system was essentially successful, the extreme emphasis the culture placed on such self-formation specified and limited the models of individuality available to an individual within it; and to women whose identity at all levels of the social scale was confined, this effect was particularly stifling Ophelia Throughout the first part of the play, Ophelia's presence on stage is marginal and passive. Her speaking parts are rare. and the only action in which she participates is entirely manipulated and predetermined by the male characters. It is only in the second half of the play, through her madness and death, that Ophelia takes control of her own "story." » and acts independently of the men in her life. Ophelia's presence dominates scene 5 of act 4 and provides a stark contrast to her passive and obsequious role in the preceding scenes. the other court characters speak, repeatedly cutting them off with: "No, please mark." The king attempts to redirect her to her proper gender role with his various addresses and responses: “Pretty Ophelia! » (4.5.56) and “Vanity towards his father” (4.5.45). Her reaction to Ophelia's madness illustrates the forces of patriarchal ideology on women. It emphasizes certain facets of female identity, such as beauty or a pleasant outward appearance, as well as women's tendency to be fanciful or moody. However, Ophélie categorically resists and transcends these boundaries. Ophelia, conditioned to obey and remain silent, now finds a voice through her “madness”. For the first time, Ophélie takes control of the world around her and expresses herself freely and without restraint. Although the members of the court consider her mad, it becomes clear, upon close reading, that beneath the shroud of song, Ophelia's dialogue contains truths regarding the current situation. In her first burst of lyricism, Ophelia exposes the Queen's lack of fidelity and her inconstancy in love: “How could I know your great love / From another? (4.5.23-4) Although the intended meaning behind Ophelia's songs will forever remain obscure and ambiguous, the fact that Ophelia formally addresses her song to the Queen suggests that it applies specifically to her person. , and in this case a subject of extreme guilt. and shame for the queen. Then, just as the king enters the scene,Ophelia sings: “All larded with sweet flowers, / Who wept to the earth did not go / With showers of true love” (4.5.38-40). In this passage, Ophelia could very well be referring to the deaths and dishonorable burials of her father and the late King Hamlet. Polonius' murder was covered up and his death remained publicly obscure while his burial was hastily celebrated. Similarly, King Hamlet was buried without a "true shower of love", indicating the lack of mourning on the part of his wife after his death. In both cases, the men do not receive the formal and honorable burial ceremony they deserve thanks to the king and queen. Finally, Ophélie's songs evoke sexual themes. Her final song suggests the nature of her personal relationship with Hamlet. She sings: "She said, 'Before you brought me down, / You promised to marry me.' / (He responds.) 'I would do it also in that sun, / And you had not come to my bed'” (4.5.62-6). The sexual innuendos characterizing Hamlet's speech towards Ophelia earlier in the play, his brusque speech advising her to go to a convent and asserting that he never loved her, and Ophelia's obsequious and passive stance in as a woman of inferior quality to that of Hamlet, all shed light on the hypothesis. that Ophelia had premarital sex with Hamlet. Through Ophelia's seemingly "crazy" singing displays, she expresses the many corruptions of the royal court. Throughout the play, the king shows anxiety regarding Hamlet's madness and hires Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to deport him to England, stating, "I love him not, and I cannot stand him." safe with us / Give free rein to his madness” (3.3.1-2). In the end, he plots with Laertes to kill Hamlet with poison. Likewise, the Queen is plagued by guilt regarding her past actions and her attempts to silence Ophelia. The Queen's account of Ophelia's death at the end of Act 5 Scene 1 is remarkable for its language as well as its completeness. The language itself attempts to place Ophelia in the eternal state of constructed female identity. The queen sets the scene with images of nature, describing the willow and its “white leaves,” “the glassy stream,” and the “fantastic garlands” that Ophelia makes from various kinds of flowers. She then explains how Ophelia “fell into the weeping stream.” . . as a creature native and induced / To this element” (5.1.166-182). This stream is an element of nature, but it is also personified as weeping. Laertes, immediately after this description, comments on the femininity of the cry: “It's our thing, Nature has her custom, / Let shame say what she wants; when these are gone, / The woman will be outside” (5.1.187-9). In this way, the queen attempts to create a beautiful and natural image: the image of the woman expected by the first modern gender stereotypes. Ophelia by John Everett Millais adequately captures the Queen's account of Ophelia's death. It depicts her death as beautiful and natural, with her ornamental dress spread out in the water and the natural landscape around her. Millais' portrait also serves to objectify the female body and to perpetuate the representation of female identity, which Ophélie was trying to escape. Given the King and Queen's desperate motivations to silence Ophelia and Hamlet's madness, it is possible to interpret this off-stage death as murder rather than suicide. The queen is the only witness to Ophelia's death, and her account is so detailed and complete that the reader cannot help but be skeptical of her claim that Ophelia committed suicide. This possibility also explains why the queen would try to.