Women, just like Ophelia and Gertrude, were obedient in following the orders and rules imposed on them by the male population. Furthermore, they have no control over their own lives as men make the decisions and thoughts for them. Not only are women powerless, but their male counterparts are aggressive and verbally abuse them. The suffering of these characters creates empathy to promote the need for an equal gender role. Shakespeare wants the men in the audience to treat the women with respect and for the women to stand up for themselves. Shakespeare uses Ophelia and Gertrude to represent women with their obedience, dependence on their man and mistreatment to shed light on this issue. Ultimately, the purpose of the female characters and their demise was to promote gender equality in the world