Question

Why does Hamlet call fortune a 'strumpet'?

Answer 1

Fortune is called a 'strumpet' in Shakespeare's plays to symbolize its capricious and indiscriminate nature, reflecting characters' frustrations over their lack of control over destiny.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Shakespeare's plays, including Hamlet and Macbeth, the personification of Fortune as a 'strumpet' highlights the unpredictable and seemingly indiscriminate nature of fate and success. To call Fortune a 'strumpet' is to suggest that she is fickle and capricious, favoring some without merit and betraying others regardless of their worth, just as a promiscuous woman might be unfaithful or randomly choose her lovers. This metaphor conveys the frustration characters in these plays feel about the lack of control they have over their destinies, encompassing Shakespeare's exploration of themes such as power, fate, and free will.

Answer 2

Hamlet refers to fortune as a 'strumpet' because he sees it as a fickle and untrustworthy force that easily betrays and deceives individuals, akin to the unpredictable and capricious nature of a promiscuous woman.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of Hamlet's soliloquy, where he famously declares, "Frailty, thy name is woman!" he expresses a profound disillusionment with the female gender, associating it with weakness and betrayal. When Hamlet later refers to fortune as a 'strumpet,' he extends this metaphor to encompass the broader theme of betrayal and unpredictability in life.

Fortune, in Hamlet's view, is like a 'strumpet' because it seduces and deceives, offering false promises only to betray individuals in the end. The use of the term 'strumpet,' meaning a prostitute, suggests not only deceit but also a transactional nature to fortune – one where favors are granted and withdrawn capriciously.

Hamlet's characterization of fortune reflects his existential angst and a deep sense of betrayal by the very forces that shape human lives. This metaphorical language emphasizes the profound distrust and disillusionment Hamlet feels not just towards women, as expressed earlier, but towards the broader forces governing human destiny.