Intersectional Forces In Hamlet

Hamlet is subversive at the beginning and middle of Shakespeare’s play because he pushes back on various intersectional forces, such as gender, class and religion. Although he is subversive for the majority of the play, he inevitably gives in to these intersectional forces and becomes subservient to them. Shakespeare shows us different characters such as Fortinbras and Laertes, who exemplify what the typical roles look like for their gender and social class. Observing these characters, we extrapolate that men of higher class are supposed to be strong and fight for revenge and honor without hesitation. Fortinbras fights for a piece of land with little to no value, and Laertes immediately challenges Hamlet to a duel when he finds out he’s responsible

None of the men in the play ever acknowledge the emotion sadness. Even after Laertes’ father is murdered by Hamlet, he shows anger rather than sorrow by impulsively threating to kill the king. On the other side of the spectrum, Hamlet immediately expresses weakness and grief at the beginning of the play, due to his own father’s death. He finds himself talking about the pain he has been hiding because of this, “But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.”(Pg. 31, Line 164) Hamlet has already started opposing the intersectional forces by expressing his feelings. This is just the start of Hamlet’s opposition to the standards imposed by external forces. He continues with this as the play moves on; “O vengeance!/ Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,/ That I, the son of a dear father murdered,/ Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,/ Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words/ And fall a-cursing like a very drab,/ A scullion! (p. 119, Lines 611-616) Here Hamlet shows that he is aware that he does not fall within societal