Even though our dear brother Hamlet just died,

And we still remember well of him,

Even if we are all overwhelmed with sadness,

And the whole kingdom is in mourning,

Despite our deepest sorrow and all respect due to the noble dead King,

Our former sister is now our Queen.

Associating grief and joy,

In a too happy funeral but a mournful wedding,

Being at the same time excited and depressed,

I took to wife this amazing woman.

But let’s not forget about the war:

Young Fortinbras thinks that we are weak,

That because of the King’s death, there could be anarchy.

All of these are speculations and dreams of him,

And he bothers us with messages because he wants to take back the lands his father lost.

But I tell you, we will not be threatened by Norway and the young Fortinbras.

And you, Cornelius and Voltemand, are going to prevent him from attacking Denmark.

It is our duty to protect the country from enemies.

I currently do not know what to think. My brother, Laertes, just left Denmark to go back to France but before leaving, we had the chance to meet alone and he gave me a piece of advice. He told me to be careful concerning my relationship with Hamlet. Indeed, even though I am truly in love with him, my brother warned me that as a future King, the prince may not be able to love who he wants. Thus, Laertes does not want me to offer my chaste treasure to Hamlet if I am not sure of his feelings. Otherwise, I might be left alone as a “ruined woman” and unable to find someone else to marry, while Hamlet will be engaged with some beautiful and wealthy princess, serving the interests of the country. Laertes fears that if I show my feelings to Hamlet, he might try to take advantage of me… My brother might think that the love between Hamlet and I is an ephemeral passion, that it will not last, that it will pass like fashion. But I tell you, I am truly in love and I am sure that Hamlet feels the same for me. He has acted strange since his father died but I understand that he is mourning the loss of a loved one. However, what I do not understand is my brother’s recommendation. In fact, how can he tell me to be prudent with my feelings while he goes to France and you know what young men do in France! He needs to practice what he preaches …I get that he wants to be protective but isn’t he hypocritical? 

What do you think about all this? What should I do concerning my relationship with Hamlet? 

I am totally lost…please help me to figure out what to do. 

I am very looking forward to your response.

Ophelia

Some might think that women are frail,

That their nature is to be breakable inclined to fears.

Others might think that they are menial,

That they are worth less than their male peers.

When he suggested these comments,

The Danish prince was expressing his rage,

It was in a fit of anger, a conjuncture of events,

Disappointed by his mothers’ hasty remarriage.

In no way this sentence should be held as a universal maxim,

Frailty is not specific to women.

Every human being is vulnerable, no one is superb.

It is the very nature of mankind, even of men.

But we need to step back and be mature,

To see that it is necessary to break free from the patriarchal society

That have been going on for an eternity for sure.

Let’s assume that we can all be unsteady;

Frailty, thy name can be humanity.



The line “Frailty, thy name is woman” inspired me to write this poem because it seems to establish a general truth which is controversial in our society. Indeed, out of context, Hamlet’s sentence may seem sexist and at this time it was not surprising. However, with all women’s rights movements today, saying that women are frailty is hardly acceptable.

Hamlet is the one who took the selfie because he wants to shed light on the incest his uncle and his mother committed. It is a way for him to show disgust and disapprovment. The black of the clothes he wears draws a contrast between his mourning and the joy of Claudius and Gertrude who are dressed in wedding clothes. In fact, in his soliloquy, Hamlet expresses his sadness because his father died but he also shows indignation because his mother married very soon after her husband died (“frailty thy name is woman”) and on top of that she married his uncle. He considers this marriage as incest (“incestuous sheets”) and does not want to support the new King. He thinks that it would be a way of betraying his father who was the greatest King one could hope for. He is loyal and devoted towards his father, which explains his face on this selfie whereas Claudius and Gertrude smile of happiness, far from the memory of King Hamlet, respectively their brother and husband.