William Shakespeare incorporates many themes and ideas into his play, Hamlet. Among the many important ideas, one potentially overlooked is the role of women. Only two of the characters in the play are women. Their lines are sparse, but they are of enormous importance in relation to the progression and plot of the play. Ophelia, Prince Hamlet's implied lover, and Queen Gertrude, his mother, do not seem significant, but their actions and characters allow other events to unfold. Gertrude and Ophelia are manipulated and belittled. In their weak will, they end up betraying Hamlet. By observing their manipulation by other people, Hamlet is able to justify and carry out his actions. Despite Ophelia's weak will, the male characters respond dramatically to her actions, showing that women indeed have a great impact in Hamlet. Her obedience is actually her downfall, because it allows the male characters to control her and use her in their plans. Ophelia's betrayal ends up putting Hamlet on edge, motivating him in his quest for revenge. Ophelia is one of two women in the play. Being the daughter of Polonius, she speaks only in the company of several men or directly with her brother or father. Since we never see his interactions with women, he suppresses his thoughts to please his superiors. Yet, as weak and dependent as her character may seem on the surface, Ophelia is a cornerstone for the play's progression. One way in which her manipulation is central to Hamlet's plot is when Polonius commands her "in plain terms, henceforth / Thou hast thus slandered in any spare moment / As to give words or speak to the Lord Hamlet," ( 1.3.131-133). She fulfills his wishes, agreeing to return any sign of Hamlet's love to him, verifying the... middle of paper... of course, ultimately infuriating and intensifying his need for revenge. Because of Gertrude's refusal to acknowledge his sins, Hamlet becomes even more personally motivated to kill Claudius in revenge. Queen Gertrude, although ignorant, has a huge impact on the play because her betrayal and abandonment motivate Hamlet to take revenge. When writing Hamlet, Shakespeare created a complex play that relies on the roles of two important women to help the progression of the plot. Although Queen Gertrude and Ophelia rarely speak, they function as a way for the men to inquire about Hamlet's mental state and reasons for the madness. Each woman made choices that had a great impact on the plot of the story and the lives of the characters. Ophelia's suicide causes Laertes to desire revenge on Hamlet, and Gertrude's infidelity and willful ignorance intensify Hamlet's need for revenge..