Machiavelli's Theory

7/28/2019 Machiavelli's Theory

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Alena Kuczynski

First Year Seminar - 5th / 6th periods - Dr. Matthews

6 June 2005

Women and Men: The Perpetual Power Struggle

Part I

For as long as civilization has existed, women and men have constantly been at odds with

one another and competed for social power. In past centuries, women have experienced a drastic

shift in social expectations of their behavior and have risen to positions that were, for many

years, unimaginable and hopelessly idealistic. Many modern women consider themselves mens

equals, while some social analysts maintain that there remains an inextricable inequality between

the sexes. While it is obvious that women are physically weaker than men - this simple fact of

biology cannot be disputed - many experts assert that females mature more quickly than males

do. In two texts that we have studied,Don Giovanni by Lorenzo Da Ponte (music by Mozart),

andHamlet, by William Shakespeare, women are portrayed as weak and often painfully docile.

Is this accurate or just a misrepresentation of women due to historical standards and expectations

of gender? Which is the weaker sex and which sex wields more power over the other?

InHamlet, the main character is male and secondary characters that wield the most

control are male as well (at least superficially; perhaps, as I will argue later, this is not the case).

The female characters seem to be psychologically malleable and constantly controlled by the

men. The most prominent and clear example of this is Ophelia Hamlets supposed lover (or ex-

lover, as it so happens). Ophelias story is inextricably intertwined with Hamlets. Elaine

Showalter quotes Lee Edwards, who writes, We can imagine Hamlets story without Ophelia,

but Ophelia literally has no story without Hamlet (Showalter 222). Ophelias whole existence

and behavior inHamletseems to reflect her reliance on the males in her life. Never inHamletdo


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we see Ophelia control her own fate until she commits suicide (as is subtly suggested).

There are several instances in which the author shows Ophelias docility in terms of

being controlled by males. Firstly, her father Polonius (who is a councilor to the King) forces her

to cut off her romance with the young Hamlet. Polonius says, 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 (Shakespeare 1.3.133-135). Ophelia then dutifully agrees even though she arguably

knows that cutting off the affair will throw her into a fit of obsessive depression. Showalter

describes a common mindset during a specific era - she writes, [F]emale madness was a part

of female nature (Showalter 225). This alleged madness, coupled with emotional instability,

contributes to the reputation of weakness given to women.

Another example in which Ophelia shows her alleged powerlessness is the way that she

responds to Hamlet. Although Hamlet insults her and tells her to retreat to a nunnery, she cannot

resist loving him. Ophelias suicide, to which Shakespeare subtly alludes, can be seen as a result

of Ophelias relations with Hamlet. How is a reader to speculate that Ophelia committed suicide

and that her death was not a tragic accident? Gertrude, Ophelias mother, says, [S]he chanted

snatches of old lauds, / As one incapable of her own distress, / Or like a creature native and

endued / Unto that element (Shakespeare 4.7.178-181). It is as if Ophelia, once in the water, did

not struggle instead, she felt at home in the water, for she was nearing the freedom that she so

desired (death). This passage reinforces the theory that Ophelia committed suicide.

Accepting the speculation that Ophelia committed suicide leads to the conclusion that

Shakespeare represents women as emotionally weak. Indeed, many individuals insist that suicide

is the ultimate weakness it is admitting that life is too painful and it is, to some people, the easy


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escape. Since Ophelias suicide was the result of the painful termination of an affair with

Hamlet, and possibly the death of her father as well, her suicide shows her excessive emotional

involvement in life and the extent to which she is controlled by the lives of men around her.

InDon Giovanni, women are also portrayed as weak and overly emotional in a negative,

nonproductive way. Donna Elvira is one example of a woman that is easily controlled and

manipulated by Don Giovanni. All of the women inDon Giovanni are represented as excessively

emotional, and this ability to feel emotions strongly (which, in other contexts, could be seen as a

virtue) is a hindrance to their lives at best. Women such as Donna Elvira, who are controlled by

men and by their own sensitive natures, seem to stand for the opinion that women, in their

delicate emotional vulnerability, make themselves easily manipulated and, ultimately, controlled

in every aspect of their lives. The emotional vulnerability mentioned above does not seem to

depend on the unique personality of the female in question; the authors ofDon Giovanni and

Hamletappear to be making the generalization that all women are, because of their emotional

susceptibility and subsequent inferiority, easily controlled by men.

After being abandoned by Don Giovanni, Donna Elvira is filled with rage and hatred.

However, she is unable to remain rational and eventually forgives him when she believes that he

repents. This shows her weakness she is so eager to believe that Don Giovanni still desires her

that she intentionally deludes herself, forgiving the man who continues to deceive her. Pulled in

different directions by her heart and her mind, she wavers with uncertainty, and this is due to her

emotional vulnerability as a woman. Donna Elvira says, what conflicting emotions arise in [my]

breast! why these sighs? and these pangs? and several lines later bluntly states, But betrayed

and abandoned, I still feel pity for him (Da Ponte 95). This shows her helplessness and


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weakness she truly is represented as a slave to her emotions and to the man (Don Giovanni)

who plays with them. Don Giovanni admits to his manipulative qualities when he says, do I

know how to get what I want? (Da Ponte 26). Da Ponte and Shakespeare both portray women in

harsh and insulting ways - do women really have so little control over themselves and over men?

Part II

Despite apparent overwhelming evidence on the contrary, I will now argue that women

wield power over men that either equals or exceeds the power that men exert over women. This

can be substantiated by analysis of bothDon Giovanni andHamlet. In both texts, it is obvious

that women are easily controlled because their emotional sides are emphasized. However, the

men in the texts are equally controlled; Hamlet and Don Giovanni are as weak and controllable

as any female in the texts - they are simply subtler in displaying this inherent weakness.

InHamlet, Hamlet bottles his emotions up and fails to communicate much that is on his

mind. Although he does not show Ophelia obvious affection, it becomes clear throughout the text

that he is, or was, strongly in love with Ophelia. Ophelia simply expresses her desire and sadness

more than Hamlet. Todays society is no different men usually tend to show less attachment

than women because it is socially unacceptable for men to express their sensitive sides.

In any case, Hamlets fate is drastically changed as a result of his love for Ophelia. As he

watches Laertes, Ophelias brother, jump into Ophelias grave and express his sorrow, Hamlet is

overcome with bitterness. He feels that Laertes is showing off and that his sorrow is not

genuinely felt or expressed. Therefore, he lashes out and gets into an argument (both physical

and verbal) with Laertes. This, in turn, leads to Laertes challenging Hamlet to a duel. The duel,

as we are well aware, ends in Hamlets tragic death. Why is it so important for Hamlet to attack


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Laertes, though? In my opinion, this shows that Hamlet loves Ophelia so much that he cannot

stand to see her disgraced in any way. Therefore, it is Hamlets love for Ophelia that controls

him and ultimately leads him to his death. One possible refutation to my argument is that

Ophelia is controlled more by Hamlet than the other way around after all, it seems that Ophelia

takes her life because of her weakness as an emotional female. However, I would maintain that

Ophelia is anything but weak. Firstly, it takes an immense amount of courage to commit suicide.

If Ophelia does in fact take her life inHamlet, it merely shows her brave determination to control

her own fate rather than have others decide it for her. In addition, I would argue that Ophelia is

just as influential in indirectly taking Hamlets life as Hamlet is in indirectly taking hers.

Don Giovanni is also a slave to women rather than the other way around. Rather than

controlling women, I believe he is controlled by women. He says, Long live women, long live

good wine! sustenance and glory of humankind (Da Ponte 110). The way this passage is

worded shows that Don Giovanni could be referring to both wine andwomen when he refers to

the sustenance of mankind. Likening women to a water-dense liquid insinuates that Don

Giovanni not only enjoys women, but that he needs women to survive. Therefore, although he is

represented as an emotionally cold individual who uses women and then abandons them, I would

argue that it is Don Giovanni who is the most dependent in this text. A feasible disproof of my

argument is that Don Giovanni does notneed any certain woman, and that since he denies

emotional attachment, he does not need any woman for more than her body, which shows that he

cannot be controlled by any woman (since he does not care for any woman). However, I would

reply to this by saying that while Don Giovanni does not need anyparticularwoman, he does

need women on the whole. Don Giovanni is definedby women and by his relationships with


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them. Therefore, he is controlled not by a single woman but by womankind.

In conclusion, although on the surface women seem to be weak and controlled by men in

bothHamletandDon Giovanni, I believe that the women in these texts exert their own subtle but

powerful influences on the men in their lives. A womans power in literature and in society is

easier to overlook than that of a man because of the way men outwardly appear emotionally cold

and thus more in control, yet this does not negate the fact that the womans power still present

and indeed just as strong as the power of man.


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Works Cited

Da Ponte, Lorenzo.Don Giovanni. Trans. Ellen H. Bleiler. New York: Dover, 1964.

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. David Bevington. New York: Bantam, 1980.

Showalter, Elaine. Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of

Feminist Criticism. First Year Seminar Anthology II. New York: 2002.

Machiavelli's Theory

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