Final answer:
Hamlet distrusts women mainly because of his mother's hasty remarriage to Claudius, coupled with Ophelia's perceived fragility and manipulation. This contributes to his broader skepticism about honesty and loyalty, as he grapples with a complex emotional response to his mother's actions and Ophelia's behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hamlet, the iconic character from Shakespeare's play, believes that women contribute to the world's dishonesty primarily due to his feelings about his mother Gertrude's actions. Hamlet is deeply affected by Gertrude's marriage to Claudius, feeling it is a betrayal by his mother, as it seemed to him to be unduly hasty after the death of his father, and also because Claudius is his uncle. Hamlet's view of women is also influenced by his relationship with Ophelia, whom he perceives to be weak and easily manipulated.
While the question seems to suggest that Hamlet's mistrust is due only to women's roles in relationships and power structures, the issue is more complex. His experience with his mother and Ophelia colors his perception and contributes to his broader skepticism about loyalty and honesty, and this theme permeates the play; there's also the suggestion that his mother's actions and his perceptions about Ophelia's fragility have caused an existential crisis within Hamlet, one that confuses his emotions and stunts his willingness to act decisively. This aligns with T.S. Eliot's criticism, which insists that Gertrude's character and her actions are not an adequate representation of the immense disgust that Hamlet feels, which frustrates him due to lack of a clear avenue for expression or action.