Gender Construction And Patriarchal Power Structure Of...

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there are various issues regarding gender construction and how women are portrayed in the play. The women of the play have zero to no power and control over situations and are often viewed as weak and incapable. The idea of power and control over women is widely shown through Ophelia’s character, who does not get to choose how her future will play out and who she will spend it with. This thoroughly connects to the Oedipus complex in the play as Gertrude’s sexuality is one of Hamlet’s only concerns as well as his unconscious feelings towards Claudius. Hamlet is critical of women as he believes that their sexual desire constantly leads them to betray men and the power struggle between the men leave Ophelia to be merely just a puppet in the game of life. This essay will explore the way that Sigmund Freud’s Oedipus complex theory manifests itself in Hamlet through their females lack of control and power. The gender const ruction and patriarchal power structure of Hamlet displays how women in the play are viewed, treated and controlled. Throughout the play, Hamlet expresses numerous sexist and stereotypical opinions about the role of women. In his first soliloquy, Hamlet states â€Å"†¦ Frailty, thy name is woman!† (I. II. 146). Hamlet definitely has a sexist attitude toward women, and it stems from his opposition and disgust with his mother’s sexuality and seemingly unfaithfulness to his dead father for only mourning him for a short period of timeShow MoreRelatedFemale Sexuality in Shakespeare4830 Words   |  20 PagesSonnets, and one of the plays: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard II, Hamlet, Antony and Cleopatra, Measure for Measure or King Lear.       Both Cymbeline and A Midsummer Night’s Dream  (AMND)  are both set in a patriarchal environment where both genders grapple for control. Valerie Traub defines the distinction between gender sex and gender behavior as â€Å"Sex refers to the . . . biological distinctions between male and female bodies. Gender refers to those meanings derived from the division of male and femaleRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pages analyzing and exploring organization theory the book increases the understanding of a field that in recent years has become ever more fragmented. Organization theory is central to managing, organizing and reflecting on both formal and informal structures, and in this respect you will find this book timely, interesting and valuable. Peter Holdt Christensen, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark McAuley et al.’s book is thought-provoking, witty and highly relevant for understanding