The Play Hamlet from a Feminist and the New Historicism Perspective 

Since Hamlet was published in 1603, there have been innumerable critiques of Hamlet. Being one of the most vaunted plays ever published in the English language, Hamlet has been covered ad nauseum. I will proffer a deviating perspective by analyzing Hamlet from the perspective of those who hew to the literary schools Feminism and New Historicism. According to Feminism: Overview, Feminism can be defined as “...a movement seeking the reorganization of the world upon the basis of sex equality, rejecting all forms of differentiation among or discrimination against individuals upon grounds of sex.” 

Feminists strive for gender equality, with opportunity for all irrespective of gender. Conversely, New Historicism is revealing underlying interests and power structures to discern the inarticulate levels and marginal groups of society. These two movements are inextricably linked because during the contemporary period of Hamlet women supposed to be sycophants, while the role of men was to be imperious. These schools reveal insight into numerous character’s actions throughout the book. Hamlet beings with guards at a Denmarkian castle witnessing an apparition of the erstwhile King of Denmark, King Hamlet, dressed in armor.When the guards become cognizant the apparition is of erstwhile King Hamlet, his son, Prince Hamlet, is brought to witness the apparition. The apparition subsequently enjoins his son to seek revenge on the man who usurped his throne and married his wife; the apparition vanishes as the dawn appears. 

After King Hamlet’s “perishing,” his brother, Cladius, ascends to the throne, and weds King Hamlet’s widow, Gertrude. During the contemporary period of Hamlet, women were still viewed as property and were used as political pawns. Cladius married Gertrude to lend credence to his inchoate reign. There was a deeply held belief in 17th Century Europe that women were the “weaker vessel,” which was buttressed by the teachings of the Church. 

The Church taught that the first woman, Eve, was created from the first man, Adam’s rib. This view made every subsequent woman seem as if they held a perennial debt to men, thereby casting them in an inferior umbrage. This even extended to Hamlet, where Cladius used Gertrude as a pawn to shore up his dynasty from claims of him usurping the throne from the rightful heir, Prince Hamlet. Soon after, the brother of the girl Hamlet has been wooing, Ophelia, is warned by his brother to abjure Hamlet; her father, Polonius, goes so far as to forbid Ophelia to have any further involvement with Hamlet, as the prince is preponderant to her in the sclerotic social hierarchy; Ophelia recutantly hews to her father’s advice and ceases her involvement with Prince Hamlet. During the time Hamlet was published, something that bespoke who one would marry was their status within the social hierarchy. Against his friend’s entreaties, Hamlet follows the apparition to another part of the ramparts alone, where the apparition asserts he is the spirit of King Hamlet. 

The Ghost of King Hamlet affirms that he was assassinated by Prince Hamlet’s step-father and the current King of Denmark, Cladius. The apparition demands Hamlet redress the situation by breaking up the royal bed of Denmark. There are a few caveats, however, because King Hamlet declares Prince Hamlet to be circumspect not to taint his mind or to proceed in a way that is athwart to his mother. Polonius, is convinced that Prince Hamlet, who has been acting bizarrely, is non compos mentis for the love of Ophelia, who has rebuffed Hamlet on her father’s enjoinders. Polonius vouchsafes his beliefs to Cladius, and Claudius agrees to investigate Hamlet. Although, Cladius is skeptical and Gertrude still believes the crux of Hamlet’s solemnity to be his father’s death and her hasty marriage to Cladius, nevertheless, they decide to adopt Polonius’s plan-that Hamlet is mad-to test to test the theory by using Ophelia as a decoy. Women were perceived in Hamlet as being there to manipulate the levers of power. When Hamlet was written, women were perceived as “homemakers,” who should remain within the home. However, when they were too young or incapable of being “homemakers,” they did men’s bidding for them-such as Ophelia trying to prove for Polonius that Hamlet is disturbed. Although, Hamlet may certainly seem mad, he repudiates Ophelia, orders her to enter a nunnery and declares that marriage should be forbidden. He debates which is nobler: to suffer or to act, then contemplates suicides again. Soon after, a group of traveling actors arrive at Elsinore. 

Hamlet expresses hope that the play the traveling actors assent to perform, which mirrors the muder of his father, will so affect Cladius, that he will confess his crime or at least give evidence to confirm the Ghost’s story. When the moment of the murder arrives in the theater, Claudius leaps up and leaves the room. Hamlet and Horatio agree that this proves his guilt. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern advise the King to protect himself, for the welfare of the state is contingent upon his safety. Hamlet goes to kill Claudius but finds him praying Hamlet almost assassinates King Cladius, but he abstains from doing so because he believes that killing him during prayer would be insufficient revenge because his soul would travel to heaven. During this time, the power of God and the Church imbued society. Hamlet refrained from killing Cladius, because he believed if he died while praying he would go to Heaven. Claudius, now frightened of Hamlet’s madness and fearing for his own safety, orders that Hamlet be sent to England forthright. The sending away of Hamlet is an evident example of a King’s absolute power. An absolute King was one who had “All the major institutions--economic, religious, military, and political-- were merged into one, centered in an absolute ruler.”

During the contemporary time period of Hamlet, despots suffused society.The absolute Kings believed themselves to be impervious to attacks but, when it did occur, such as in King Cladiu’s case, they exiled or executed them, sans trial, demonstrating that they were the judge, jury, and executioner. A trial was not adjudicated to discern Hamlet’s guilt or innocence, but rather, he was immediately sent away. After a tendentious talk with Hamlet, Claudius admits in a concluding soliloquy that he is sending Hamlet to England to be killed. Hamlet murders Polonius through the sheets. Claudius enlists Laertes to kill Hamlet. Gertude announces that Ophelia has drowned, possibly a suicide. Hamlet emerges, swears his love for Ophelia, too, and he and Laertes grapple. Pirates returned Hamlet to Denmark. Getrude drinks from the poisoned cup and Laretes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned rapier. Claudius and Hamlet both die because Hamlet ran through Claudius with the unbated rapier.