William Shakespeare's Hamlet centers on the internal struggle of the Prince of Denmark. Cherrie Moraga's Shadow of a Man centers on the Rodriguez family during 1969 in Los Angeles, California. Most readers are focused on the words and the actions of these two stories only. Often overlooked and unappreciated are the stories females characters such as Queen Gertrude of Denmark, Ophelia both of Hamlet and Hortensia, Rosario, Lupe and Leticia from Shadow of a man. As …showed first 75 words of 728 total…

…showed last 75 words of 728 total…is speaking out through the flowers that she has given them. The concept that an understanding of the women in Hamlet and the Shadow of a Man are important to understanding the story. Gertrude, Ophelia, Hortensia, and Rosario represent clear feminine figures in both their actions, and in the relationships with men. Without understanding the major role that these women play in this story there is no way to understand the story in it's entirety.