Hamlet

What is Hamlet's estimation of women and why?

Act I, scene ii

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Hamlet has some real mother issues going on. Many critics feel he has an Oedipus thing going on, but I won't deal with that here. Hamlet is pretty mad about his mother mourning for about two minutes and then promptly jumping into the sheets with his uncle. He sees Gertrude as a symbol for all women. Hamlet watches his mother hang on to Claudius like a school and culminates his tirade with his famous line, "Frailty, thy name is woman!". So now all women become conniving hussies including his "beloved" Ophelia who he is about to drive insane.