Who said frailty thy name is woman in hamlet?

Answer 1

Frailty, thy name is woman

MeaningAlluding to the alleged inherent weakness of character of women. OriginFrom Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1602:

Must I remember? why, she would hang on him,

As if increase of appetite had grown

By what it fed on: and yet, within a month -

Let me not think on't - Frailty, thy name is woman! -

A little month, or ere those shoes were old

With which she follow'd my poor father's body...

Hamlet is angry that his mother, Gertrude, has married his uncle Claudius within a month of his father's death. The speech generalizes the attribution of weakness of character from one particular woman to womankind.

Answer 2

Hamlet says this in his Act 1 soliloquy which starts out, "O, that this too too solid flesh would melt" (Folio text). In this speech, Hamlet is complaining about what has made him unhappy and also angry: the marriage of his mother to his uncle. But he continually interrupts himself with exclamations: "Heaven and earth! Must I remember?", "Nay, not so much, not two", "Oh God! a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer!", and "Let me not think on't. Frailty, they name is woman!" These lines are a clue to what is really bothering Hamlet: his mother's "o'erhasty marriage" as she says. His mother is the woman he is thinking of when he says "Frailty, thy name is woman!" He is really criticizing his mother for her weak will in not waiting the proper time (Hamlet keeps shortening the time, from "two months dead" to "not two" to "within a month") after his father's death before remarrying. She has given in, Hamlet thinks, to her carnal desires.

Answer 3

his mothers remarriage to his uncle, who is now is stepfather, making her marriage incestuous

Answer 4

This is basically saying that all women are frail, fragile, and weak. Stereotype.

Answer 5

This is due to what he observes from Gertrude. Since Gertrude remarries to Claudius, he sees Gertrude as weak, being unable to resist temptation.