Hazelton 1

Morgan Hazelton

White

AP English Lit Pd. 1

10 March 2022

Consequences of Betrayal and Dishonesty in Hamlet

On March 15th, 44 BCE, forty Roman senators assassinated Julius Caesar. The dictator

Caesar was popular among citizens, but fellow politicians feared his power was too strong. They

conspired against him and stabbed him to death, many out of resentment and jealousy. As a

result, the public hated the senators, and a series of civil wars began which ended the Roman

Republic (“Mar 15, 44 BCE”). The historical event shows the perils of betrayal and the potential

for backfire when one is dishonest. The assassination and its aftermath inspired a play by

William Shakespeare, as well as a story about a Danish prince. In the Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince

of Denmark, the young prince Hamlet struggles with the grief of losing his late father to

mysterious causes. His uncle takes over as king and marries his mother, adding to his

frustration—he feels that they have moved on too quickly from his father’s death. Hamlet is

shown a ghostly figure by his best friend Horatio, and the ghost ends up being his father. The

ghost reveals that his brother murdered him with poison, inspiring Hamlet to swear revenge on

his uncle. Hamlet feigns madness as part of his plan, in order to fall under the radar of the king.

He ends up breaking ties with everyone except for his best friend Horatio. He lies about his true

feelings to a young girl, Ophelia, creating discourse with her family. Along his path to revenge,

he causes death and destruction in many forms. Hamlet accidentally kills Ophelia’s father in a fit

of rage, which causes her insanity. Her brother Laertes learns of their father’s death and seeks to

kill Hamlet. Laertes conspires with the king to challenge Hamlet to a duel with a poisoned blade,
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however, the duelers both end up hit with it. They each succeed in taking revenge, but almost

everyone, including Hamlet, end up dead by the last act. In the play by William Shakespeare, the

characterization of Ophelia, analysis of the big idea of love, and symbolism of flowers reveal

that betrayal and dishonesty have grave consequences and require repentance. One should value

honesty and virtue instead to avoid cycles of hatred and loss that harm others and society. A

person cannot progress if they do not learn from their mistakes and seek growth through morals.

To demonstrate, the words, actions, and reputation of Ophelia help to reveal the possible

consequences of deceitfulness and a lack of virtue. In Act 1 Scene 3, Laertes gives his sister

Ophelia some advice regarding her relationship with the prince. Laertes tells her to stay away

from him, but Ophelia still believes Hamlet’s love to be real. Before he leaves for Paris, Ophelia

tells Laertes:

I shall the effect of this good lesson keep

As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother,

Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,

Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,

Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine,

Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads

And recks not his own rede. (1.3.49—55)

Ophelia promises to keep his words as “watchmen to [her] heart,” which means that she will

allow them to protect and guide her, as a watchman does. The phrase suggests a great emotional

attachment to his advice, due to the word “heart,” which has a connotation of great love and care.

She cares for her brother and takes his guidance seriously, but she believes he needs advice as

well. Ophelia believes it would be wrong of her brother to give her counsel on being virtuous if
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he commits sins himself—“Do not, as some ungracious pastors do.” “Ungracious,” meaning

wicked and ungodly, suggests fear within Ophelia for her brother’s wellbeing and possible

sinfulness. Her warnings reflect morals of honesty and virtue because she believes Laertes must

act with grace and civility. He must not act like “a puffed and reckless libertine,” or an

irresponsible individual unrestrained by morality. Ophelia believes that hypocrisy may be

equated to sin, as shown by her mention of “ungracious pastors” and the disapproving emotion

associated with “libertine.” She wishes for her brother to remain virtuous, fearing that further sin

will follow him down a “path of dalliance” if he does not. A lack of morals leads to endless

misdeeds that can cause harm to others, as well as a lack of growth. For instance, Laertes’s

hypocrisy and recklessness could injure the good standing of his family. One must avoid such

misdirection and instead live by integrity and honor. Upholding these principles enables one to

mature and avoid hurting others. Furthermore, Ophelia’s actions reveal her character as well;

although she believes others should conduct themselves with righteousness, her own behavior

may not reflect the same ideals. Polonius, her father, devises a plan to learn the truth of Hamlet’s

madness because he believes Hamlet has gone mad due to his love for Ophelia. Polonius works

with the King and Queen to test this, using Ophelia as a ploy. He instructs her:

Ophelia, walk you here.—Gracious, so please you,

We will bestow ourselves. To Ophelia. Read on this

book,

That show of such an exercise may color

Your loneliness.—We are oft to blame in this

(’Tis too much proved), that with devotion’s visage

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And pious action we do sugar o’er

The devil himself. (3.1.48—55)

Polonius uses Ophelia as an object to deceive Hamlet and prove his madness; he places and sets

up Ophelia strategically, ordering her to pretend to read— “Read on this /book.” In response, she

obeys her father to maintain his respect, along with Claudius and Gertrude’s. Polonius also says,

“with devotion’s visage/And pious action we do sugar o’er /The devil himself.” The word

“visage” means the face or appearance of something, but it suggests falsehood and dishonesty

through a misleading appearance. The use of “devil” compares their plan to evil and sin through

the religious connotation of the word. Ophelia is willing to betray Hamlet, showing that she

cherishes loyalty to family and to the state, but not honesty. The characters in this scene display a

lack of principles through their dishonest means of finding the truth in which she plays a part.

The use of religious diction reveals that their actions will have consequences. Everyone involved

should have remained honest in their quest for answers, but instead faced fatal repercussions.

They refused to acknowledge their errors, causing a lack of personal development; without

repentance, one is doomed to repeat their mistakes and cause more injury to others. Moreover,

what other people believe about Ophelia assists in showing how she presented herself outwardly.

After Ophelia’s death, Hamlet and Horatio watch from afar as her funeral begins in the

graveyard. Laertes is upset because she is not given a proper burial due to the belief that she

committed suicide and had improper relations. Laertes tells the priest:

Lay her i’ th’ earth,

And from her fair and unpolluted flesh

May violets spring! I tell thee, churlish priest,

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A minist’ring angel shall my sister be

When thou liest howling. (5.1. 248—52)

Laertes still sees Ophelia as honorable despite her clouded reputation in life, calling her “fair and

unpolluted” and “a minist’ring angel;” all of which suggest a connotation of innocence and

purity. “Minist’ring” refers to someone who is caring, communicating Laertes view that Ophelia

is kind and compassionate, as well as angelic. However, his beliefs may be clouded by wishful

thinking. He loved his sister, and therefore, wanted to believe the best of her, but it is highly

likely that she did commit suicide and earned a doubtful reputation. Laertes does not place the

fault of her death on her, and instead blamed Hamlet for taking advantage of her naivety and

youth. Laertes believed Ophelia to value virtue, showing an admiring perspective on her

character. Despite this, Ophelia’s sins, or what society deemed as sinful, resulted in her death

and lack of reverence in her absence, showing that a lack of principles and repentance causes

great damage to one’s life. She did not act according to the values of honesty and virtue expected

of her, and that she expected of others, nor did she act assertively against negative influences,

such as he father and Hamlet. She became stagnant in her ethics because she was not able to

make choices that benefited herself and her personal growth, but instead followed what others

believed was right for her. She was not honest to herself, which prohibits one from living a

fulfilling and virtuous life. Thus, it is necessary to follow one’s own principles in making

decisions instead of being influenced by society’s selfish ideals.

In addition, following Hamlet’s familial relationships throughout the play demonstrates

the importance of honesty and seeking redemption. The thematic concept of love, specifically

familial love, refers to strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.

Hamlet’s feelings towards his family members vary greatly, making his relationships especially
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interesting to examine. To illustrate, Hamlet’s father is not present in the play, but the nature of

their familial love is shown by Hamlet’s words:

But two months dead—nay, not so much, not two.

So excellent a king, that was to this

Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother

That he might not beteem the winds of heaven

Visit her face too roughly. (1.2.142—46)

Hamlet views his father with admiration and great love, seeing him as “so excellent a king” and a

great husband, “so loving to my mother.” He emphasizes King Hamlet’s upstanding character by

explaining that he would “not beteem the winds of heaven/Visit her face too roughly.” The use

of “heaven” creates a connection between his father and a caring, pleasant manner. Hamlet

despises his mother for betraying his father’s gracious image and marrying his brother not even

two months after his death. Hamlet values love of family regarding his father and holds onto it

throughout the play to get revenge for his death. His love also inspires hatred for his mother and

is a powerful and guiding force for the violence he ends up committing. He believes that

Gertrude betrayed her bond with King Hamlet, which shows that, in his eyes, she lacks virtue.

The Queen’s betrayal of family bonds leads to more loss and hatred, such as her fading

relationship with Hamlet. She seems to be unaware of how her actions have affected her son,

causing a decline in their closeness; they should have been upfront and honest with each other in

order to move on and mature as individuals, instead of wounding other people. Failure to

acknowledge and apologize for wrongdoings causes mistrust and loss. Additionally, Hamlet’s

relationship with his uncle is poor from the beginning of the play, and it worsens when Hamlet
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discovered he killed his father. As a result, he swears revenge on Claudius. Believing Claudius to

be praying, Hamlet almost murders him, but decides against it:

When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,

Or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed,

At game, a-swearing, or about some act

That has no relish of salvation in ’t—

Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,

And that his soul may be as damned and black

As hell, whereto it goes. (3.3.94—100)

Although Claudius is his uncle, Hamlet feels no affection or care towards him. Because of his

murderous actions, Hamlet believes that the King deserves eternal damnation. Hamlet uses

words like “incestuous” to reveal his feelings towards Claudius. Meaning excessively or

improperly intimate, the word has a connotation of disgust attached to it because of its

connection to inappropriate sexual relations. Furthermore, Hamlet believes his soul may be “as

damned and black as hell,” revealing deep hatred for his uncle. Love is not present in this

relationship, showing that one’s actions can sever familial bonds. Claudius betrays his brother

and his nephew, contributing to a lack of admiration for his character. Claudius’s lack of

principles causes his ultimate death as his plans to keep power backfire. If he had remained a

virtuous character, he may have been an admirable leader, but his actions instead cause death and

hatred. Hamlet believes that the only way for him to pay is to face punishment that will force

him to confront his sins. One cannot move on from their mistakes until they are able to admit

their transgressions and seek redemption. Another of Hamlet’s relationships that is challenged in

the play is with his mother. At the beginning of the play, he feels intense hatred towards her for
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betraying his father and marrying the murderous Claudius. However, he does not seek to kill her

as part of his vengeance, seeing her as partly innocent. In Act 3 Scene 4, he confronts her and

tells her the truth of his father’s death, telling her:

Confess yourself to heaven,

Repent what’s past, avoid what is to come,

And do not spread the compost on the weeds

To make them ranker. (3.4.170—73)

Hamlet tries to get his mother to “repent what’s past,” showing he still cares about her in some

capacity. Despite any anger he may feel towards her, he does not want her to suffer in the

afterlife. He is honest with her and begs her to seek forgiveness from God so that she may go to

heaven after her death. Hamlet wants her to “avoid what is to come,” insinuating cycles of

violence, by living the rest of her life without sin. He tells her not to make the situation “ranker,”

meaning putrid and festering, showing that he believes there still may be hope for the state of the

kingdom; he sees a way to avoid further violence through virtue. Despite challenges to their

relationship, Hamlet’s words show that he holds onto the familial love he feels towards his

mother, as well as a loyalty to kinship. Love can be challenged through one’s actions, but it can

survive such hardships and remain strong, as it has in this situation. Hamlet believes that his love

for his mother can inspire her to repent. According to his belief, repentance is the key to

salvation. Meaning to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life,

repentance can take many forms. However, Hamlet believes that it is the only way to stop further

loss and hatred in the kingdom. In order for them to progress, acknowledgement and changes in

one’s behaviors are necessary.

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Lastly, the use of flowers as symbols shows the worth of authenticity and change. For

example, in the first act of the play, Laertes and Ophelia discuss Hamlet’s true feelings together.

Laertes uses flowers to describe his nature:

For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favor,

Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,

A violet in the youth of primy nature,

Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,

The perfume and suppliance of a minute,

No more. (1.3.6—11)

Laertes sees Hamlet as unfaithful and fears his feelings for Ophelia are only temporary or “a

violet in the youth of primy nature.” In this phrase, “youth” hints at playfulness and immaturity,

which indicates how Laertes sees Hamlet. Similarly, “ primy” signifies being in one’s prime and

has implication of frivolity. The word “trifling” means insignificant and futile, which helps to

reveal Laertes’ attitudes towards Hamlet’s feelings, which are compared to a violet.

Connotatively, “trifling” suggests a lack of maturity and general insincerity, showing that Laertes

feels disdain for Hamlet’s dishonesty. He feels protective over his sister and urges her not to trust

Hamlet. In this instance, violets symbolize commitment because they represent the appealing

nature of the feelings Hamlet appears to have for Ophelia; however, Hamlet’s youth prevents his

loyalty to Ophelia from being true. Laertes believes that Hamlet is only mimicking such feelings

and, while they are “sweet,” they are also “not lasting.” Therefore, Hamlet lacks honesty and is

not able to be true to Ophelia. Laertes fears that his favor is only going to harm Ophelia, which is

does when Hamlet tells her that he no longer loves her. Hamlet’s disregard for Ophelia may have

had an influence on her demise, but her loss could have been possibly avoided with truth. The
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lack of integrity within their relationship caused harm to their wellbeing and did not allow for the

development of their characters; they could have worked through their issues with the support of

each other. It is necessary to be honest to oneself and to others to avoid causing confusion and

harm—betterment can only occur if one is able to accept the truth about their faults and correct

them. Furthermore, following the death of Polonius, Ophelia experiences madness and concerns

individuals in the castle. She is called to see the King and Queen. In front of Laertes, Claudius,

and Gertrude, she sings and talks about imaginary flowers, “There’s rue for you, and here’s some

for me; we may call it herb of grace o’ Sundays. You must wear your rue with a difference”

(4.5.205—7). She discusses rue, which she says is associated with grace and must be worn “with

a difference,” meaning this flower is special and needs to be distinguished from the others.

“Grace,” meaning virtue, mercy, or privilege, has a strong connection to religion and divinity.

“Sunday” in Christianity is a day of rest and worship, showing that she believes they should

pursue these activities by reflecting on themselves. Thus, rue has a symbolic meaning of

repentance—Ophelia suggests that she and the people around her are in desperate need of change

and repentance for their many sins by gifting them these flowers. However, their failure to do so

leads to great loss within Denmark, like the deaths of King Hamlet and Polonius. For them to

avoid more destruction, they must be able to express regret and alter their actions. A refusal to

change prevents growth in one’s character. Additionally, Ophelia is found dead in a nearby

stream due to suicide when she eventually reaches a breaking point in her mental health. The

Queen describes the scene of her death to Laertes and the king:

There is a willow grows askant the brook

That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream.

There with fantastic garlands did she make

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Of crowflowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples,

That liberal shepherds give a grosser name,

But our cold maids do “dead men’s fingers” call

them. (4.7.190—6)

In Ophelia’s last moments she made “fantastic garlands” of various flowers, suggesting that they

have significance—“fantastic” calls attention to their extravagance, making them stand out in her

speech. Getrude's inclusion of flowers in her description of her unfortunate demise is meant to

give Laertes comfort over the morbid beauty of his sister’s death. Her great detail allows him to

see his sister’s last moments with admiration, rather than sadness. One flower, the “long

purples,” are described by Queen Gertrude in length. She states that they are called a “grosser

name” by shepherds, suggesting a connection to vulgarity. “Liberal” shows that these individuals

live without moral restraint because of the denotation of the word, and thus, their descriptions

may be indecent. In contrast, maids call them “dead men’s fingers” because of their naivety. The

use of the word “our” shows that Gertrude sees the maids and their interpretation as more

socially acceptable. Because of their connection to an inappropriate vulgarity these flowers

represent a loss of innocence; they are described by Gertrude to suggest her true feelings towards

the young girl. In Ophelia’s case, she is sinful because of her relationship with Hamlet, and the

use of flowers reflects Getrude's negative view of her. She was unable to hold onto her virtue in

society's eyes and failed to repent for it, so she becomes stuck with a damaged reputation even

after death. She could not grow and became permanently stagnant because she could not accept

the truth of how society saw her and seek to move past it. One must be able to be true to

themselves and their values instead of society’s expectations to reach personal fulfillment.
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In summation, repentance is required when one is dishonest. If they fail to do so, they

will face endless cycles of anger and loss. For example, Laertes lacks virtue and is hypocritical

about his values, leading to his easy corruption by Claudius. His anger causes him to act

irrationally and seek to betray Hamlet, which backfires on him. Ophelia and Hamlet are not

honest with each other about their true feelings, resulting in their dissolved relationship. Ophelia

is alone at the end of the play and cannot cope with her losses because of it. Hamlet ruins

Ophelia’s reputation and loses sight of everything but his revenge. Ophelia lives with a tainted

reputation and lacks virtue in her decisions, which causes her loneliness and suicide because she

fails to be true to herself. Ophelia listens to everyone around her, which diminishes her ability to

follow her own values and makes it impossible for her to grow. Moreover, betrayal of familial

bonds is seen by Gertrude, Hamlet, and Claudius; all of which face consequences because they

do not atone for their actions. Gertrude’s death is a result of Claudius’s plan gone wrong; he

betrayed Gertrude by trying to kill her son, and he ends up killing her as well. Cycles of hatred

and death follow the kingdom because no one seeks forgiveness for their mistakes, and instead

seek to cause more destruction. The revenge that they seek does not cause redemption for any of

the characters and is essentially done in vain. Everyone dies, except for Horatio, as a result of

their own and others’ sins and lack of principles; their attempts at achieving justice through

revenge backfire because of the violent and deceiving means they utilized. Horatio is the only

one that maintains his honor and his survival shows the importance of living a principled life. In

Ancient Rome, Julius Caesar’s death was the ultimate betrayal, involving plans of deception and

lies. The actions of the senators caused several civil wars which resulted in even more death.

They sought a change through death instead of honesty and repentance, which in turn causes the

downfall of themselves and the republic. Their lies backfire on them as they become hated by the
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entire community. Both stories of betrayal warn against such actions and show that honest

actions result in growth over loss. Thus, it is necessary to lead a life guided by virtue and seek

growth from mistakes.

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Femininity in Hamlet

“During the eighteenth century the status of ‘the sex’ was a much debated issue.

Definitions of ‘women’ and ‘femininity’ played a crucial part in a wider redefinition of social

categories and social roles” (“Women in the Eighteenth Century”). Femininity includes the

various ways women are expected to look and behave, which have changed throughout history.

Within Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there are only two female characters, Gertrude and Ophelia.

Gertrude is the Queen and Hamlet’s mother, whom he feels resentment towards for marrying his

uncle very soon after his father’s death. She struggles in her desire to keep power in the kingdom

through ways that may betray her moral code and her desire to protect her son by encouraging

him to seek growth in. She tries to get Hamlet to leave to England to better himself, but Claudius

secretly tries to have him killed there. She eventually dies due to the backfiring of her husband's

plans to murder her son. Ophelia is Hamlet’s love interest in the play, a young girl in the

kingdom whose reputation is at stake due to their relations. She is rejected by Hamlet who

accidentally murders her father, causing her to decline into madness and eventual suicide. Both

women in the play have a subservient role to the men in their lives and end up dying as a result

of the men’s actions. Gertrude follows the actions of the king and is scrutinized by Hamlet for

her behaviors. Ophelia is obedient to her father and brother, as well as society’s strict

expectations of her. Shakespeare’s female characters help to reveal attitudes towards femininity

in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, which has importance in modern culture as well.

To begin, the descriptions and actions of Queen Gertrude show important cultural

associations with femininity. She is a female in power who faces challenges in balancing her

position with her personal relationships. Author Patricia Parker from the University of California

states:
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As with the possibility of the Queen's adultery...what is at issue is fascination with unseen

events, the obsession everywhere in Hamlet with spying and being spied upon linked

with the secrets of women that can be exposed to ‘show,’ a fascination that makes

women, marginalized as characters within the play, paradoxically central to it. (Parker

75)

Within the play, Hamlet views his mother’s relationship with Claudius as adulterous, feeling that

she is betraying his late father. He makes several comments about their intimate interactions in

order to describe his disgust over their relationship, contributing to a theme of women being

connected with secrecy and sexuality, as well as a feeling of mistrust and loathing. Furthermore,

women are not given central roles in the play; they are acted on by men, rather than acting for

themselves. Despite this, the men are constantly worried about the women’s private actions. For

example, Laertes and Polonius are concerned with Ophelia’s relationship, and Hamlet with

Gertrude’s. The way women are incorporated into the story shows that femininity was

connotatively negative in the Elizabethan period, suggesting suspicion of women due to their

perceived scheming and mysterious ways. Currently, femininity is still given disapproving

implications. The 21st century still desires femininity to be pure, making sexuality taboo and

forcing it into the shadows. As a result, hyper-feminine individuals that are proud of their sexual

nature are disapproved of in society; for instance, female sex workers face discrimination, and

their work lacks significant protections by the law because it is deemed taboo. Additionally, the

interpretations and performances of Hamlet also display societal values of femininity, “While

eighteenth-century theater may have deemphasized certain aspects of Ophelia’s character, it also

invested her with a mixture of ‘ideal’ femininity and veiled sexuality...” (Floyd-Wilson 397). In

the play, Ophelia is ostracized for rumors of her relations with Hamlet, which are assumed to be
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sexual in nature. Her reputation is harmed because of the societal belief within the play that

woman should be virtuous, innocent, and free from sin. The beliefs of the false characters,

however, reveal what was valued within Shakespeare’s society as well, which his writing

upholds. Theaters chose to remove and replace certain lines that suggested sexuality regarding

Ophelia (Floyd-Wilson); instead, she was represented as the societal ideal of womanhood, which

also involved purity and chastity. In modern day, values of virginity and innocence persist.

Feminine people are expected to hide their sexuality, while masculine individuals are praised for

flaunting it. Although sexual movements have tried to encourage the free sexuality of all people,

society still holds femininity to a higher standard or morality.

In closing, through the examination of Shakespeare’s use of femininity in Hamlet, it is

clear that his works retain relevancy in the modern world. The social issues regarding negative

perceptions of femininity, constricted sexuality, and double standards for men and women have

continued from the 17th to the 21st century. Not only does Shakespeare’s writing reveal societal

attitudes at the time, but it also helps to perpetrate them throughout time. His popular plays, such

as Hamlet, assist in creating societal stereotypes that persist and attach themselves to the public

conscience. Thus, teaching his works is still relevant to modern society in order to encourage

analysis of archetypes in culture and understand the full spectrum of truth surrounding social

issues like femininity. Womanhood and feminism will continue to be issues in the future, as

individuals continue to fight for equality for all genders. Rachel F. Seidman from the University

of North Carolina Press discusses feminism in the modern world, “[Online feminist movements]

revealed to me the nature of the simultaneous, intense backlash against women’s progress that

finds particularly venomous expression in the relative anonymity of social media” (Seidman 1).

Femininity continues to face backlash from society, which has been intensified by digital culture;
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as a result, discussions of the roles of women will remain meaningful until femininity no longer

receives repercussions for its expression.

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Works Cited

Campbell, Jesse. “The Language of Flowers: Ophelia.” The Pre-Raphaelite Pleasaunce, 14 Aug.

2019. Accessed 31 Jan. 2022.

“Mar 15, 44 BCE: Julius Caesar Assassinated.” National Geographic Society, 06 April 2020.

Accessed 24 Feb. 2022.

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark from The Folger Shakespeare.

Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine. Folger Shakespeare Library.

www.folger.edu/hamlet.
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Annotated Bibliography

Floyd-Wilson, Mary. “Ophelia and Femininity in the Eighteenth Century: `Dangerous

Conjectures in Ill-Breeding Minds’.” Women’s Studies, vol. 21, no. 4, Sept. 1992, p. 397.

Advanced Placement Source, doi.org/10.1080/00497878.1992.9978953. Accessed 16

Feb. 2022.

Ophelia’s character has been a symbol of femininity in culture due to her sexuality and

emotion in the play. In the 18th century, parts of her character were censored in the

theater to present an idea of ideal femininity while hiding her sexual aspects. She was

portrayed as innocent and sentimental, and all elements of her that strayed from the ideal

were concealed.

I plan to use this source to show how Ophelia’s character in Hamlet has been a symbol of

femininity since the 18th century and compare how femininity is viewed in the 21st

century. This source shows how gender roles have been shown through her character,

which still has relevance today. Ideas about sexuality and femininity persist, showing that

Hamlet still has purpose.

Parker, Patricia. “Othello and Hamlet: Dilation, Spying, and the ‘Secret Place’ of Woman.”

Representations, no. 44, University of California Press, 1993, pp. 60–95,

https://doi.org/10.2307/2928640. Accessed 16 Feb. 2022.

The source examines female roles on two Shakespeare plays by close reading passages to

understand the implications of their diction. The language helps to reveal cultural

attitudes, especially towards women. Women in Hamlet are associated with secrets and

spying and are often stuck in the middle of the affairs between men.
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I will use the source to explain the implications of how women are portrayed in the play.

Shakespeare’s writing reveals important ideas about cultural views at the time, which can

be compared to modern day and uses to argue its continuing importance.

Seidman, Rachel. Speaking of Feminism: Today’s Activists on the Past, Present, and Future of

the U.S. Women’s Movement. The University of North Carolina Press, 2019. EBSCOhost,

https://search-ebscohost-

com.libproxy.estrellamountain.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=2205190

&site=ehost-live. Accessed 4 March 2022.

This source analyzes how feminism has been viewed and the importance of the

movement. The author interviews feminist activists in different age groups to see how the

movement has developed during different decades.

This book provides important information on how femininity and feminism are viewed in

the 21st century, especially involving social media. I will use it to discuss how femininity

is currently viewed and how it may continue to be affected.

Women in the Eighteenth Century: Constructions of Femininity, edited by Vivien Jones, Taylor

& Francis Group, 1990. ProQuest Ebook Central,

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/emcc-ebooks/detail.action?docID=178290.

Accessed 6 March 2022.

This source looks at the roles of women through the lenses of conduct, sexuality,

education, writing, and feminism by looking at various 17th and 18th century writings.

I will use this source to provide background information on how femininity was viewed

during the time period Hamlet was written.