Are the women in Hamlet truly respected by the men?

As the two women in the drama, Ophelia and Gertrude are
sometimes loved, sometimes desired, and sometimes used, but they are not respected by
the men in their lives. To respect them would require relating to them as individuals
with personal identities, feelings, needs, and desires. This does not occur in the play.
Gertrude and Ophelia exist only in terms of the roles they play in the men's
lives.

Gertrude is loved by Hamlet, but he does not respect
her. He abhors her marriage to Claudius, condemns her actions, and even tries to save
her soul by demanding that she give up her incestuous marriage. He lectures; he
threatens; he frightens her. He does not ask why she chose to marry Claudius; he has no
interest in her feelings.

Claudius clearly lusted after
Gertrude, killing her husband to claim her, as well as the throne. He does not respect
her, however. Besides murdering her husband, he secretly plans the murder of her son,
all the while pretending to care deeply about Hamlet's
welfare.

Ophelia is loved by her father and her brother,
but she is not respected by them. Polonius and Laertes tell her what to do and what not
to do, giving no thought to what she needs or wants. They dismiss her feelings for
Hamlet and will not entertain the idea that she loves him or that her feelings are even
important. Laertes believes that Hamlet could not possibly love her and is pursuing her
only out of lust.

Hamlet loves Ophelia, but he uses her in
his plot to uncover Claudius' guilt. He lies to Ophelia, pretends to be mad, and pushes
her away from him. He breaks her heart in this way but will not leave her alone. He does
not respect Ophelia enough to trust her with the truth, nor does he consider the painful
and destructive effects of his actions upon her.