Frailty, thy name is woman.

FRAILTY, THY NAME IS WOMEN         Frailty is defined as being fragile, foible, and having a moral weakness (Oxford Dictionary). At one point during the play Hamlet, Hamlet states, "Frailty, thy name is women" (i.ii.146), generalizing that all women are frail. During the period Hamlet was written, the society was patriarchal, therefore, the women were very dependent on the men, and were unable to exist independently. Through their submissiveness Gertrude and Ophelia are treated as …

…in the hands of her controlling men causes Ophelia to have a pitiable character and emotional frailty.         The characters of Gertrude and Ophelia directly fit into the definition of frailty--they are fragile, foible and morally weak. Gertrude and Ophelia appear to be attractive, however, one is morally weak, and the other is emotionally weak and has a fragile character. Their passive performance leads to Gertrude and Ophelia becoming susceptible to frailty and receiving pitiable dealings.