Feminism in Shakespeare's Hamlet and Macbeth

Feminism in Shakespeare’s Plays

Hamlet and Macbeth

When it comes to the discussion of plays, Shakespeare’s name can never be omitted or forgotten. To clarify the worth of his works, one may say that Shakespeare was the other name of plays, as he set the standards of plays performed in later ages till he contemporary age.

William Shakespeare was a famous playwright from Renaissance or Elizabethan age. His plays, however, show some characteristics of medieval times mingled with the Renaissance. Besides these elements, feminism (or depiction of female characters) has been an important element of his plays as he gives significant place to the female characters, and let them be as influential in the progression of the plot as the male characters. This essay shall discuss the depiction of female characters in two of Shakespeare’s plays; Hamlet and Macbeth, and shall reveal the characteristics of women or feminine traits as crafted by Shakespeare.

There are a number of different characteristics of the female lot that Shakespeare has shown us in the said plays. For an overall view, some characteristics may be listed as: deceit vs sincerity, cunningness vs innocence, hypocrisy, wisdom vs foolishness, decisiveness, dare vs shyness, faithfulness, dependence vs independence, love and obedience. Other than these, Shakespeare also presents the psyche of the women and how different women react and handle various situations according to their social status and as influenced by other people, particularly men.

In both the plays, Shakespeare has depicted the female characters opposite in one sense, yet similar in the other. Both plays open with two decisive and daring women. In Hamlet, Queen Gertrude (Hamlet’s mother) is as decisive and strong as Lady Macbeth in the play Macbeth. In the former play, Gertrude decides to marry her brother-in-law after her husband’s demise, as Claudius says:

“Therefore our some time sister, now our queen,

Th’ imperial jointress to this warlike state” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene II)

Although it was considered an incestuous act in that time by the society and religion, yet Gertrude marries Claudius soon after her husband’s death. Likewise in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth becomes determined to kill King Duncan in order to win her husband the honour of kingship, as she plots after receiving the letter from Macbeth in which he tells her about the prophecies of the witches, and utters some confident and determined lines:

“Come, you spirits

That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,

And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full

Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood.

Stop up the access and passage to remorse,

That no compunctious visitings of nature

Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between

The effect and it! Come to my woman’s breasts,

And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers,

Wherever in your sightless substances” (Macbeth, Act I, Scene V)

However, both the characters may also be viewed on a contrasting level. As we read Hamlet, we observe that Gertrude was unaware of the fact that the former king was assassinated by her second husband. She was neither the part of King Hamlet’s murder plot, nor she married Claudius to betray her husband. Therefore, Gertrude is a decisive, yet a lady of morals and grace. On the other hand, if we read the first act of Macbeth, we shall see Shakespeare revealing the deliberate evil plans and intentions of Lady Macbeth, who plans to murder the king wickedly even when her husband is hesitant to perform this act. Henceforth, both the characters differ and present two different types of females as depicted by Shakespeare.

Apart from their acts, whether done in innocence or with evil intentions, that offended other people, both Gertrude and Lady Macbeth depict love, sincerity and faithfulness towards their family. Not only them, but Ophelia also shows a pure love for Hamlet. Gertrude, as a mother is always worried about her son Hamlet and loves him deeply. We find her concerns for Hamlet in the very initial scenes of the novel till the time she dies:

“Good Hamlet, cast thy knighted colour off,

And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene II)

Moreover, Gertrude remained sincere with her former husband throughout the days of their matrimonial relation, and never deceived him during his life. She only married Claudius after late King Hamlet’s assassination. Likewise, Ophelia also loves Hamlet and tries to justify him as a sincere lover before her father and brother:

“He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders

Of his affection to me.”

Ophelia also loves her brother Leartes and her father Polonius. She respects them and is obedient towards them. When Polonius warns Ophelia not to meet Hamlet and not to receive any gifts from him, the meek lass replies in the following manner:

“I shall obey, my lord.” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV)

Even after her father’s murder, Ophelia remains in a constant conflict between her love for her father and love of Hamlet, and is left empty handed at the end committing suicide. Similarly, Lady Macbeth is also a constant support to her husband, as she loves him with sincerity and wants him to be superior above the rest.

“Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor,

Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter,

Thy letters have transported me beyond

This ignorant present, and I feel now

The future in the instant.” (Macbeth, Act I, Scene V)

She loves Macbeth, and is caring and concerned for him. When Macbeth murders King Duncan, he comes out with bloody hands holding the murder weapon. At this, Lady Macbeth becomes concerned and boldly rushes back to Duncan’s room to put back the dagger and smear the guards with Duncan’s blood. On returning to Macbeth she instructs him in the following manner for his safety:

“Hark! More knocking.

Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us

And show us to be watchers. Be not lost

So poorly in your thoughts.” (Macbeth, Act II, Scene II)

We see Shakespeare depicting a contrast of dependent and independent women in his plays. As for Hamlet, Gertrude represents image of an independent women, who is capable of taking her decision regardless of anti-feminist norms of her society. In Hamlet, Shakespeare gives portrayal of a society where second marriage was a kind of taboo, or was considered an evil practice both on the part of male and female. However, through Gertrude, Shakespeare depicts a woman who dares to step against the social norms and endeavors to take a step for herself and for her happiness and life. However, her independence doesn’t make her forget her responsibilities as a mother, as a wife and as a queen. Lady Macbeth is also another example of independent women. Independently, she plots Duncan’s murder and convinces her husband to do this act.

On the other hand, Ophelia is a depiction of dependent women. She is incapable of taking her own decisions and is always depending upon the instructions given by her brother and her father. She readily consents to what they say, and meekly obeys them as if she is devoid of all the senses and cognition. Even in the case of Hamlet proposing to her, she trusts Hamlet merely for his verbal promises, and never endeavors to look for the purity and honesty of his words.

The traits of hypocrisy and cunningness can be found within Lady Macbeth’s character. She is a perfectionist in tweaking the situation and people for her personal motives. She behaves very nicely to all the guests in the party so that they are happy with their treatment and nobody can suspect them. She heartily welcomes them as nobody can have a slight doubt that her husband has murdered Banquo.

“Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends,

For my heart speaks they are welcome” (Macbeth)

Shakespeare presents women as the beings with limited approach and understanding in complex matters. Two such examples exist in form of Ophelia and Lady Macduff. Ophelia is foolish, silly and frail of mind. Throughout the play, she is never seen using her own reasoning or wits in order to take necessary steps for the situation. She foolishly listens to everyone, and never uses her cognition in order to reach the facts. Likewise, Lady Macduff is a self-obsessed, narrow-minded woman. She doesn’t think that her husband has gone for a greater good. Macduff knew that Macbeth took over the throne through illegal means and to protect Scotland, he sacrificed his family life. But his narrow minded wife is devoid of understanding the wisdom of her husband’s decision, and instead thinks he didn’t like her and was tired of her.

“Wisdom? To leave his wife, to leave his babes,
His mansion, and his titles, in a place
From whence himself does fly? He loves us not” (Macbeth)

Apart from depicting the characteristics owned by women, Shakespeare also shows how other gender of the society thinks about the feminine lot. In the play Hamlet, Ophelia’s father, Polonius, is biased when it comes to liberty of men while conservative when it comes to the liberty of females. We find him giving warnings to Ophelia for immediately ending her meetings with Hamlet, and telling her that she knows nothing about love as she is too young:

“I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth

Have you so slander any moment leisure

As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV)

However, on the other hand, Polonius is in the favour of Leartes’s liberty. He does give Leartes florid advices when he was leaving for France. But later when he asks Reynaldo to check on Leartes in France, his views about youth entirely change:

“But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips

As are companions noted and most known

To youth and liberty” (Hamlet, Act II, Scene I)

Likewise, Hamlet also generalizes women on the basis of his mother’s hasty decision of marriage with his uncle, and as per society’s norms it was an incestuous decision too, as the Ghost says to Hamlet:

“Let not the royal bed of Denmark be

A couch for luxury and damned incest” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene V)

We find Hamlet repeatedly mourning over Gertrude’s marriage with Claudius, and he starts to hate his mother for this fact. He calls his mother an adulterous and “most pernicious woman” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene V), and later he says similar words for Ophelia too:

“Get thee to a nunnery. Why, wouldst thou be a

breeder of sinners?” (Hamlet Act III, Scene I)

This signifies that, in Renaissance society, a woman’s liberty to her happiness was something unacceptable, and she was called an adulterous if she would go against society’s anti-feminist norms. Hamlet is also of the view that all women are disloyal with their husbands, and women’s love is something very transient (Hamlet, Act III, Scene II).

In Macbeth, Shakespeare projects Lady Macbeth as driving power towards an evil act. In the opening lines of the play, it was the three witches that initiated the complexities by making Macbeth aware of his future. The witches confidently greet him in the following manner:

“First Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Glamis!

Second Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Cawdor!

Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth, the future king”

This intrigues Macbeth, as a result of which he tells this secret to his wife. But the plot made by Lady Macbeth after reading Macbeth’s letter makes reader think that the female lot should not be trusted with secrets:

“Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither,

That I may pour my spirits in thine ear

And chastise with the valor of my tongue

All that impedes thee from the golden round,

Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem

To have thee crowned withal.” (Macbeth, Act I, Scene V)

The play Macbeth is a strong and explicit depiction of women as a driving force, and suggests that women are cause of men’s doom in certain situations. It is noteworthy that the religion practiced in Renaissance age was Christianity. Christians believed in the original sin and were of the view that all afflictions on the mankind today, including death, are due to the first sin done by Eve. She ate the fruit of the forbidden tree, as a result of which both Adam and Eve were expelled from the immortal life of paradise to this mortal world. Similar to this Christian belief, Lady Macbeth plans the evil murder of King Duncan for which her husband also suffers. She becomes the cause of Macbeth’s doom, although he tries to stop her from fulfilling her plans. It was Lady Macbeth in whose mind came the idea of king’s murder. Had Lady Macbeth not suggest this murder, Macbeth would have enjoyed a respectable life as Thane of Cawdor.

However, Lady Macbeth is also a symbol of fearlessness and extraordinary braver. The following dialogue reveals her daring and brave personality, even more than her huband:

“Macbeth: I’ll go no more:     

I am afraid to think what I have done;

Look on ’t again I dare not.

Lady Macbeth: Infirm of purpose!     

Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead

Are but as pictures. 'Tis the eye of childhood

That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed,

I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal,

For it must seem their guilt.” (Macbeth, Act II, Scene II)

Through her character, we are made aware that females are not always devoid of wits. Rather there are females who, unlike Ophelia, use their wits and wisdom in grave situations. Lady Macbeth is certainly a woman of great wisdom, as to so perfectly plan a grave crime like a king’s murder within her own palace, yet leaving none in a suspicion against her family. In the above dialogue, we find Macbeth panicking about the situation; however, Lady Macbeth remains composed and fully conscious, as she takes the dagger from her husband telling him that a sleeping man is as good as a dead one.

Although Lady Macbeth shows a woman’s wisdom and bravery, yet through Macbeth’s dialogue we come to know that bravery and courage were considered to be the traits of men, and if a woman was found to possess them, she was termed as a manly women rather than a brave or extraordinary woman:

“Macbeth: Bring forth men-children only,  

For thy undaunted mettle should compose

Nothing but males. Will it not be received,

When we have marked with blood those sleepy two

Of his own chamber and used their very daggers,

That they have done ’t?”

In the above dialogue, Macbeth is not ready to accept such bravery and courage in his wife. For this reason, he says to Lady Macbeth that if she gives birth to a child it would necessarily be a baby-boy, for he believes that such bravery and courage belongs to men and can only give birth to a boy as for him girls do not have such qualities. Henceforth, Macbeth reveals the mindset of the men of his age, who believed that wisdom, planning, wit and bravery were the men’s property, and women were devoid of these characteristics.

Shakespeare gives a vital role, though a negative one, to Lady Macbeth in the play. However, he almost ignores the worth of female characters within Hamlet, as we see Ophelia and Gertrude least effecting the plot of the story. Gertrude hardly has any independent dialogues within the play, reflecting the fact that female interference or opinions were not given worth.

In the dialogues between Hamlet and Ophelia, Shakespeare depicts the status of women. He presents them as emotional and vulnerable beings, which are used by men for their needs and pleasure. Although, Hamlet is considered as a moral scruple, yet we find him exchanging cheap dialogues with Ophelia:

“Hamlet: Lady, shall I lie in your lap?

Ophelia: No, my lord.

Hamlet: Do you think I meant country matters?

Ophelia: I think nothing, my lord.           

Hamlet: That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs.” (Hamlet, Act III, Scene II)

The above dialogues clearly show that the men during that age were of the view that women were a mere object of usage. They were objects that were of no better use but only to satisfy the sexual needs of men. Hamlet’s behaviour with Ophelia also shows vulnerability of women:

“Ophelia: He took me by the wrist the wrist and held me hard.

Then goes he to the length of all his arm,

And with his other hand thus o’er his brow

He falls to such perusal of my face

As a would draw it. Long saty’d he so.

At last, a little shaking of mine arm,

And thrice his head thus waving up and down,

He rais’d so piteous and profound

As it did seem to shatter all his bulk

And end his being. That done, he lets me go” (Hamlet, Act II, Scene II)

We know that Hamlet was merely pretending to be mad and was actually in all his wits and senses. However, he makes harsh use of Ophelia to convince others of his madness. Elizabethan women were reported to be domestically tortured. Not only Hamlet, but we also see Polonius making use of his daughter in order to secure a high rank in majesties eyes. He is least bothered about Ophelia’s feelings, and very insensitively makes a plan to show the majesties that Hamlet’s madness was due to his love for Ophelia.

“Polonius: At such a time I’ll loose my daughter to him.

Be you and i behind an arras then.

Mark the encounter. If he love her not,

And be not from his reason fall’n thereon

Let me be no assistant for a state,

But keep a farm and carters. (Hamlet, Act II, Scene II)

Furthermore, we find a partiality in the matter of education as we see Polonius sends Leartes to France for his education; however, Ophelia remains in Denmark with him in the palace. We also find evidences of Hamlet being a learned man, as we see that he alters the contents of letter sent to the English king by Claudius. But we do not find any reference to Ophelia’s education throughout the play.

It can also be observed that women were not allowed to participate in outdoor activities. In both the plays, we find that the soldiers of the Danish and Scottish army were all men. In Hamlet, we come across the soldiers and Horatio as the army men; while in Macbeth, we have Banquo and Macbeth as prominent army men. But there is no sign of any lady participating in war or political affairs. Claudius’s concerns of the probable attack of Norwegian army on Denmark, his interaction with the Norwegian king, his ambassador sent to Denmark, the Danish troops sent to the pole; all comprise of men and all the political matters were under the masculine control. The witches’ prophecy of Macbeth becoming Thane of Cawdor and later King of Denmark, Banquo’s sons taking Macbeth’s place and Macduff’s decision to leave his family in order to avenge Macbeth revolves around men as the decision makers and the leading forces.

Moreover, through the play performed by Hamlet with the play, we observe that all the actors playing were male. Women were not allowed to take part in performing arts such as theatre, although renaissance era is known for its theatrical excellence.

Elizabethan woman were raised to believe that they were inferior to men. The Church believed this and quoted the Bible in order to ensure the continued adherence to this principle. The protestant leader John Knox wrote:

"Women in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man."

With reference to the above quote, we find several examples of women submission with the play Hamlet:

“King: Sweet Gertrude, leave us too,

For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither

That he, as ‘twice by accident, may here

Affront Ophelia.

Gertrude: I shall obey you.” (Hamlet, Act III, Scene I)

“Polonius: I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth

Have you so slander any moment leisure

As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.

Ophelia: I shall obey, my lord.” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV)

“Polonius: What, have you given him any hard words of late

Ophelia: No, my good lord, but as you did command,

I did repel his letters and denied

His access to me.” (Hamlet, Act II, Scene II)

All the above references show the obedience expected on the part of the women towards their husbands, fathers, brothers or some other male. Elizabethan woman were totally dominated by the male members of their family. They were expected to instantly obey not only their father but also their brothers and any other male members of the family. The punishment for disobey was the whipping stool - the Elizabethan girls were beaten into submission and disobedience was seen as a crime against their religion.

It is probably due to the above reason of unquestioned obedience that women desired to possess male qualities and characteristics rather than female ones. The effects of female suppression and can be seen changing Lady Macbeth’s mind towards her gender and she desire to lose her feminine qualities and gain masculine ones, as she cries:

"Come, you spirits

That tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here,

And fill me from the crown to the toe top full

Of direst cruelty" (Macbeth, Act I, Scene V)

The disruption of gender roles is also represented in the weird witch sisters that appear as the play opens. The trio is perceived as violating nature, and despite their designation as sisters, the gender of these characters is also ambiguous. Upon encountering them, Banquo says:

 "You should be women,

And yet your beards forbid me to interpret

That you are so" (Macbeth, Act I, Scene II)

Their facial hair symbolizes their influence in the affairs of the male-dominated warrior society of Scotland. Critics see the witches and the question of their gender as a device Shakespeare uses to criticize the male-dominated culture. Moreover, we see Lady Macbeth as the character responsible for projection of the plot further, as she takes some bold steps. Yet, the name of the play is “Macbeth” rather than “Lady Macbeth”.

Women are a dangerous presence in Macbeth. According to Stephanie Chamberlain, fear of the power of women was a strong force in early modern England. Women could wield control over patrilineage in ways men could not. Women could be unfaithful in marriage, thus changing the lineage, and a husband could be duped into raising another man's child. Women could pass on traits, both wanted and unwanted, through nursing, rearing of children, and neglect of children. It was feared that women would commit infanticide. Chamberlain tells us, "Perhaps no other early modern crime better exemplifies cultural fears about maternal agency than does infanticide, a crime against both person and lineage". Lady Macbeth presents such threats.

If an overall survey of both the plays is done, we shall conclude that women have been associated with more vices rather than virtues within these two plays. Gertrude is associated with a woman who did an incestuous crime by marrying for a second time after her husband’s demise. Ophelia has been portrayed as a foolish, dependant woman, who cannot think for herself and is rather controlled by her male supervisors. Lady Macbeth is presented as an extreme form of evil, a cunning lady, a hypocrite and a selfish woman. Lady Macduff depicts lack of understanding and narrow-mindedness. However, we find a constant hint upon male-dominance, and also a reminder to the feminine lot about their unjust suppression, humiliation and a lesson for them to believe in themselves and their abilities for their respect and status in the society. And also a reminder to the masculine lot that if anyone is persistently suppressed, be it women, they shall certainly one day break the fetters and speak up for themselves and can even turn evil.

______________________________