Final answer:
In Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', Hamlet views Gertrude and Ophelia as manipulative and deceitful, but modern interpretations often present these characters as complex figures navigating restrictive gender roles.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Hamlet's warped view, Gertrude and Ophelia are seen as b) Manipulative and deceitful. Throughout Hamlet, the protagonist expresses strong distrust and disdain for both women—his mother, Gertrude, and his love interest, Ophelia. He criticizes Gertrude for her hasty marriage to Claudius and questions her loyalty, going as far as to suggest that she was complicit in his father’s murder. Similarly, Hamlet perceives Ophelia as a tool of deception used by her father Polonius and the king to spy on him, leading to his famous outburst of 'Get thee to a nunnery,' which solidifies his view of her as manipulative and potentially promiscuous.
However, these interpretations of the characters have been debated over time, with some critics arguing that the women in Hamlet are exercising the most agency they can given the strict gender roles of their society. Feminist criticism has particularly reevaluated Ophelia's character, seeing her ‘madness’ not just as a sign of fragile femininity but as a form of protest and rebellion against the patriarchal order.