Why a Pattern? Women now compared to women in Hamlet

I think that women are being viewed in the play as weak and easily controlled.  They are thought of as worthless or of lesser value because they are "weaker" than men, even though certain characters (like Ophelia), to me, were worth more than the male characters in the story.  When Ophelia is insane, she is speaking truth about Gertrude and Claudius' treachery, without being blamed for it because she is actually insane.

Other than that, most other women characters (there was like two total) are considered weak, and women in general are considered weak.  Hamlet says: "Frailty, thy name is woman!" (1.2.146b).

And then, before he battles Laertes, he is feeling anxiety, and a strange feeling that something will go wrong in his fencing match.  At that time, he says this: "It is but foolery, but it is such a kind of gain-giving as would/perhaps trouble a woman" (5.2. 203-04).

Hamlet obviously believes in the superiority of men, and also that he has the "right" to try and control a woman, like he tries to use Ophelia to further the extent of his fake insanity (that I believe eventually turns into insanity). [Ophelia] " 'My lord,...Lord Hamlet,...with a look so piteous in purport As if he had been loosed out of hell To speak of horrors -- he comes before me.' [Polonius] 'Mad for thy love?' [Ophelia] 'My lord, I do not know.  But truly, I do fear it.' [Polonius] 'What said he?' [Ophelia] 'He took me by the wrist and held me hard...And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow, He falls to such perusal of my face As he would draw it.  Long stayed he so...That done, he lets me go, And, with his head over his shoulder turned, He seemed to find his way without his eyes, For out o' doors he went without their helps, And to the last bended their light on me' "(2.1.77-100)

I believe that this scene was a scene to show how Hamlet uses his love for Ophelia to help shape part of his fake insanity.  He is trying to use her, yet still love her.  At the same time.  GREAT IDEA HAMLET.  WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, HOW ABOUT GETTING A LIFE OTHER THAN INSANITY?

Hamlet also says something about how all women are seductive and trick men into choosing them for their beauty: [Hamlet] " ' Or, if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them.  To a nunnery, go, and quickly too.  Farewell.' " (3.1.138-39).
 Hamlet is telling Ophelia that all women are seductive, and cannot be trusted.  And also that their love is false and blows away, like Hamlet's mother's love for Hamlet's real father: [Hamlet] " 'Is this the prologue or the posy of a ring?' [Ophelia] ' 'Tis brief, my lord.' [Hamlet] 'As woman's love.' " (3.2.137-39).

Last point: Hamlet also mentions, near the end of the play, that no makeup can save a woman from death: " 'Alas, poor Yorik!...Not one now to mock your own grinning?  Quite cheapfallen?  Now get you to my lady's chamber and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to  this favor she must come.  Make her laugh at that.' " (5.1.start at line 168, then 175-77).
I think that this is a metaphor for treachery.  No matter how much you try to cover up what has been done, that cover cannot hide your treachery.  No veil can cover your shame.

There is lots of similarity between the ideas portrayed in Hamlet and the ideas about women in the modern world.  Today, women are still kind of thought of as the "weaker sex" - not as strong as men at everything.

We're getting better at having strong female characters - in books, in movies, and in video games (characters like Chell from Portal; Kitana, Sonya Blade, and Mileena from the Mortal Combat Series; and Irileth from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim), but we are also making women the "seductive" sex as well, with those same books, movies, and video games (games such as  League of Legends, which is targeted at males and features many female characters dressed immodestly).

Many movies have a love interest, where the male likes the female, or the female uses her beauty to seduce the male into doing something for her (this is usually when she's working for the bad guys).  There are even lots of women characters that are on the "bad side" or the "dark side" or the "evil side".  I think that in those stories, women are being portrayed as the dark side, and men are the poor guys who are preyed on by those "dark side" females.

And there are still people who say (and I am guilty of this as well) "you scream like a girl!" or "come on, don't be a girl." or even "fight like a man!"; "man up!".  That's mainly the guys talking (most girls usually say "c'mon and fight like a girl!").  Or even in Big Hero 6, when GoGo Tomago says "Stop whining.  Woman up." to Hiro - we're trying to fit people into a category.  If they're a guy, then they are "supposed" to be masculine or fit into a preset "code" of what men are supposed to be.  And sometimes we try to fit women into that code, too - except they don't fit, and so apparently they are not worth as much because they don't fit the "one size fits all" template for men.

We still act like there is one pattern that everyone should fit - either one for men and one for women, or one for everyone to try to fit into.

-bookhouse4

Sources:

• http://nfs.sparknotes.com/hamlet/ (No Fear Shakespeare)
• http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Women_Characters_in_Video_Games
• My personal experience with "personalized" ads from League of Legends  and watching my cousin play it.
• Big Hero 6
• The original play
• Shakespeare
• Other people
• Stuff