Senior Portfolio: 2013-14
Cailean Demmon
Cailean Demmon
Molly Fenn
HP English
10/28/12
Hamlet's Fear of Female Sexuality
Hamlet, in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, has two relationships with women in the play. He has a relationship with Ophelia and with his mother, Gertrude. What both of these relationships have in common is that Hamlet insults both of their sexualities. Hamlet believes that female sexuality is linked with corruption and sin.
Where does Hamlet's belief that female sexuality is corrupted and sinful come from? This belief comes from the disappointment of his mother. Hamlet held his father in very high regard.“So excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr”(1.2.143-144) Hamlet compares his father to the sun god Hyperion and Claudius to a satyr, a half-man half-goat from Greek mythology known for drinking and partying. How Hamlet feels about the two men is simple. Hamlet worships his father and hates Claudius for his drinking and partying. He feels that his mother should have honored the King's death for longer and not have married Claudius. “A beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer” (1.2.154-155) ” Now Hamlet is confused. He feels that what his mother did was wrong and the only way that he can rationalize this marriage is that his mother married Claudius because she needs to satisfy her sexual needs. “O shame! Where is thy blush? Rebellious hell, if thou canst mutine in a matron’s bones, to flaming youth let virtue be as wax” (3.4.91-95) In Hamlet's opinion, the only logical conclusion is that female sexuality is corrupt and sinful.
Hamlet's belief that female sexuality is corrupt and sinful is a reaction to Gertrude’s actions. After his discovery of this belief he becomes more hateful towards her. This hate makes him more vocal about his belief. “Nay, but to live in the rank sweat of an enseamèd (greasy) bed, stewed in corruption, honeying and making love over the nasty sty!” (3.4.103-106) Hamlet is directly saying to Gertrude that her sex life is corrupt. She is enjoying sex far too much in Hamlet's point of view. He views her sexuality as corrupt and wrong. He has seen what happens when female sexuality becomes corrupt and sinful. He is afraid that is a woman exercises her sexuality then she will become like his mother, corrupt and sinful.
This belief is shown with his actions involving Ophelia. He has feelings for Ophelia, “Doubt thou stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love.” (2.2.124-127) However, these feelings are now changed because of his new found belief. He no longer views innocent Ophelia as a woman he loves but as a time bomb that could go off at any second. “Get thee to a nunnery, farewell. Or if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool, for a wise man know well enough what monsters (cuckolds) you make of them” (3.1.147-151) Hamlet wants her to go to a nunnery or else she would become a promiscuous woman, cheating on her husband and sleeping around. He is afraid that if innocent Ophelia exercises her sexuality then she will become corrupt. He is afraid that lust and sin will corrupt her. He is afraid that the woman he loves will become like his mother.