Part 2: Why does Hamlet hate the women he loves?
Why does Hamlet hate the women he loves - his mother Gertrude, and Ophelia? My last post [1] claimed that Hamlet is harsh with Gertrude and Ophelia, at least in part, because he loves them and wants them to avoid sin (Ophelia) or repent (Gertrude), to avoid the pains of purgatory (like his father) or eternal damnation. He fears for their eternal fate. But this is not the whole story. Hamlet may have many motivations for being so harsh,[2] for hating the women he loves (as noted by many critics). Just a few: WHY HATE HIS MOTHER? Personal reasons: He wanted the throne to pass to him, not his uncle. When Gertrude married her brother-in law, for whatever reasons (passion; fear of attack from Norway), this ruined Prince Hamlet’s chances to become the next king after his father. He may hate her for that reason. Cultural/Religious reasons: Shakespeare’s culture was misogynistic: Henry VIII wanted a son to succeed him, not a daughter. Many agreed. Many assumed women were the “w...