Ophelia

4. Essentially, the objections to Ophelia's relationships arise from several things but all are rooted from Hamlet. His male hormones and physical desires in a relationship are the primary reason for Laertes' and Polonius' objections. Just being a protective elder brother and abstractly a concerned father, Laertes and Polonius wish Ophelia to abstain from sexual encounters with Hamlet. In terms of persuasiveness, Laertes' advice is more persuasive although both arguments treat Ophelia as if she does not have a mind of her own and as if she has a radically lower level of IQ than Laertes and Polonius. Ultimately, these relationships illustrate the subjectivity women experienced during this time frame and women's submissiveness to men's command--almost as if they were subordinates. Lastly, nobility plays a role in their arguments as they use Hamlet's title of prince against him and assert it as a scapegoat for their disagreements.