Shakespeare's Hamlet is a tragedy enjoyed by both the learned and the learning alike; the play appeals to an array of audiences. Thus, his layered work demands several perusals to grasp all the subtleties and the nuances. At first glance, one notes Hamlet's misogynistic remarks with chortling bemusement; however after thorough analytical study the reader realizes that this language is a well developed motif that Shakespeare cleverly employs to develop Hamlet's cynicism.

Hamlet begins early on with a severe censure during his first soliloquy. Proclaiming the now-immortal "frailty, thy name is woman!" (I.ii.150), Hamlet expresses his contempt for his mother's incestuous relationship with his uncle. Hamlet further laments that even a "beast that wants discourse of reason / would have mourned [King Hamlet] longer" (I.ii.154-55). Hamlet feels that his mother, the Queen Gertrude is fickle and hedonistic--traits that he believes characterize all women.

The audience might...