Copyright 2000-2023. Even though Polonius is quite dominant, harsh and controlling, Ophelia never tries to rebel against him. The symbolism of the flowers is a very feminine way to express that the corruption of Denmark is disguised, much like how the pretty flowers represent something deeper. But there is also some reason in madness. What Nietzche is saying is that when you are in love with someone or something, there is always a little. Ophelia Character Analysis - eNotes.com Introduction to Ophelia in Hamlet Of all the pivotal characters in Hamlet, Ophelia is the most static and one-dimensional.She has the potential to become a tragic heroine-- to overcome the adversities inflicted upon her -- but she instead crumbles into insanity, becoming merely tragic.It appears that Ophelia herself is not as important as her representation of the dual nature of women in the play. Analyzes how shakespeare used ophelia's innocence to provide an even greater contrast to the deceit of the characters that engulfed her. All security for the future lost in a few months can and does break down people, and it clearly did for Ophelia. She lost her lover and the social position and security that would have come when she became Hamlet's wife. Analyzes how ophelia is pitiful as she reels from the painful blows that she has received. Not only is Polonius protective of his daughter but also he is also incredibly concerned about his reputation in court. Analyzes how ophelia talks of flowers, and gives certain types to certain people. In the novel, Ophelia explains the violets by stating, I would give you violets, but the all, The snowball effects gets faster from there, and she quickly loses everybody she ever cared about. Instead of Hamlet showing love or an emotional connection towards Ophelia, Hamlet treats Ophelia as a sexual object. Analyzes how ophelia's few occurrences in hamlet cause the characters to use her for their own personal good. She has come to the realization that not all men are good, not all people are true, and the world she lives in is not what it seems. In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, the character Ophelia is very controversial due to the fact that Shakespeare places her as the focus inside the minds of all the men in her life such as Polonius, Laertes, and Hamlet. Analyzes how shakespeare's the tragedy of hamlet, prince of denmark, is one of his most perplexing plays. Her father and the king, watching that encounter, are more concerned with what they have discovered about Hamlet than about how she has been abused. She finally found peace in her mad world. Maybe knew is overstatement as it was all contrivance of his own twisted mind, bit still, he loved her and wanted her desperately, right? He would rather engage in intimacy with Ophelia instead of getting to know her on a personal level. Perhaps Shakespeare used Ophelia's innocence to provide an even greater contrast to the deceit of the characters that engulfed her. Hamlet: Suggested Essay Topics | SparkNotes We first meet Ophelia when she is talking with her brother Laertes, who attempting to educate her about the ways of the world. In the same way, when Hamlets supposed craziness becomes apparent to Polonius and Claudius, they use Ophelia in Act II to necessarily complete their dirty work per say and learn why Hamlet is being so odd and high strung. Therefore, she believed she had to do everything her father told her to, which caused her to stifle her love and hurt Hamlet, the man she loved (Hamlet). Analyzes how ophelia is met with requests from hamlet and her father and brother during her appearances. Through this, she is able to say things to others that she otherwise would not have been able to say because she was a women. This contributes to Hamlets act of being crazy. What evidence can you find in the play to support your opinion? Along with the bellflower, the last tree includes violets. The story of Hamlet is a morbid tale of tragedy, commitment, and manipulation; this is especially evident within the character of Ophelia. They also believe that he will use her in order to achieve his own purposes, and that he would take her precious virginity only to discard it because he would never be her husband. As explained earlier, the roots are a representative of Ophelia's heart. The evidence shows easily Hamlets actions toward Ophelia were unjustified. Whether Ophelia was an innocent young woman or a crafty conspirator, she was a motivator in the plot of Hamlet with her madness and she eventually contributed to the bloodshed in the final scene of the play that withstood the test of time. Ophelia's character is important in the story because she represents femininity, and Hamlet is able to act out his aggression towards his mother on Ophelia. Analyzes how ophelia's obedience was a combination of her natural character and the events occurring around her. Ophelia is seen as someone who potentially has a very soft heart but is unable to deal with traumatic experiences. It seems clear that he and Ophelia have, sometime during their growing up together in the castle at Elsinore, been in some kind of relationship. I would like to have more ideas. Each Shakespeares play name links to a range of resources about each play: Character summaries, plot outlines, example essays and famous quotes, soliloquies and monologues: Alls Well That Ends Well Antony and Cleopatra As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Coriolanus Cymbeline Hamlet Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry VIII Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry V Julius Caesar King John King Lear Loves Labours Lost Macbeth Measure for Measure The Merchant of Venice The Merry Wives of Windsor A Midsummer Nights Dream Much Ado About Nothing Othello Pericles Richard II Richard III Romeo & Juliet The Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Troilus & Cressida Twelfth Night The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Winters Tale. 11. Created by maddie_galucy Terms in this set (13) Is Hamlet mad in this play, or is merely pretending to be mad? At the beginning Ophelias love for Prince Hamlet is strong but she has to keep her innocence/ obedience, Ophelia can be portrayed as having little power, which is evident in her obedience to her father in 1.3. Because Ophelia is obedient, she follows the demands of her father and Claudius and in return, sadly has to endure another rejection from Hamlet when he states, Get thee a nunnery. Its not all full of sunshine and rainbows. The development of Ophelias madness and the many factors that contributed to her suicide are significant parts of the plot. On one extreme, Ophelia is meant to represent women not only as weak, but blindly obedient and easily manipulated and dominated by men. Kitto claimed that Ophelias tragedy is that she is innocently obedient to a disastrous father (272), and this oppression from him led to her betrayal of Hamlet. She has so many moments where she is hanging onto her sanity by a thread, and one small thing could set her off. If she would have had a life after the bloodshed that occurred, it would not have been pretty or. At this point Hamlet is raged and does not understand how harsh his words can be to a woman, especially a human being in general. she says to her father so please youmy lordI do not know, my lord, what should I thinkI shall obey, my, Supposedly, Hamlet did love Ophelia as he says, "I loved Ophelia. Along with Queen Gertrude, Ophelia is one of only two female characters in . Claudius, Polonius, Marcellus, and Reynaldo are a few from his play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. See answer Advertisement renaee95 Ophelia is one of the most important characters in the play Hamlet. Hamlets Ophelia, is a tragic, insane character that cannot exist on her own. Hamlet: Ophelia Quotes The effects of the matter cause him to verbally abuse Ophelia and rejects her love by saying that they will never get married and also degrades women. Quotes Stratford ebooks Blog Shop Ophelia, Hamlet Home 1 / Shakespeare Characters 2 / Ophelia, Hamlet Although Ophelia (in Hamlet) is one of the least fully-realised female characters in Shakespeare she is probably the most interesting and relevant regarding current gender relations. I also feel like Ophelia should stick up for herself and be that principal main character of the story she should. Analyzes how laretes warns ophelia that hamlet is merely toying with her emotions due to that she is not as high of status as he is in the kingdom. In conclusion, the death of Hamlets father had looked like as if it has not even affected his mother which he so dearly loved and the one true love he thought he had, seems to him as deceiving and just a pawn for his enemies. Analyzes how hamlet reminds claudius that he is human, essentially bringing up his mortality. he sees her as all other men see women. Required fields are marked *. a. Hamlet and Gertrude b. Gertrude and Claudius c. Hamlet and Ophelia d. Ophelia and Laertes What is Hamlet's state of mind when we first see him? Introduction to Ophelia in Hamlet Of all the pivotal characters in Hamlet, Ophelia is the most static and one-dimensional.She has the potential to become a tragic heroine-- to overcome the adversities inflicted upon her -- but she instead crumbles into insanity, becoming merely tragic.It appears that Ophelia herself is not as important as her representation of the dual nature of women in the play. As the title indicates, Hamlet is the main character of the play, but there are other characters who are also important to the plot. However, Hamlet is a womanizer and believes all women to be the same. In the beginning, Hamlet and Ophelias relationship seems like an ordinary dating couples; Hamlet makes many tenders of his affection on her. Analyzes how laretes hears of polonius' death and returns to denmark and finds his sister corrupt. Closer to the end of the play, Ophelia's madness resembles Hamlet's more and more. Another way that Ophelia is portrayed undesirably is that she is thought to have committed suicide in a glassy stream./Therewith fantastic garlands did she make/Of crowflowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples (4.7.166-168). Scene 1. However, Ophelia is then frankly told by both her father, Polonius, and brother, Laertes that Hamlet does not actually loves her. We can see this clearly in the text, Thats a fair thought to lie between a maiden legs. (Shakespeare 3.2.3) This shows how Hamlet sees Ophelia as a sexual object. Analyzes how ophelia, whether by fabricated or real insanity, changes the course of the play and leads to the deaths of most main characters. Think about Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia. But due to the fact the Hamlet was feigning madness, he made this task particularly challenging for her by playing on her conscience and her heart, You should not have believed me; for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish it. Throughout many literary works we are met with characters who appear briefly throughout that work. A young woman, surrounded by powerful men, she would, in any case, find it difficult, even if they had ignored her. All rights reserved. After she had been visited by an apparently crazed Hamlet, she tells Polonius about the visit, prompting him to believe that the young prince is crazy in love, and goes out to tell the king. The ghost reveals how he was murdered by his own brother, who has now married his widow, Hamlet's mother. Forty thousand brothers, if you added all their love together, couldn't match mine" (Act 5) but that was more to the end of the play. Ophelia eventually takes her life in that haunting scene of a young girl, "fell in the weeping brook. Throughout the play, Ophelia does not have much of a voice while also being mistreated and emotionally abused by her boyfriend Hamlet. There are other reasons in the play, like Hamlet's anger and her brother's absence. She was destined for a life of misery, a life of looking upon the could have been, a life that is hell. Analyzes how ophelia's relationship with polonius and laertes is depicted early on through their conversations with her regarding her love life. Did he ever love her? I pray you, now receive them." - Act III, Scene I, 'Hamlet'. Both her father and her brother believe that Hamlet is using her to achieve his own personal goals. In Hamlet, what is the purpose of Ophelia's remembrance of the former Because of those things she is unable to defend herself against the treatment she is subjected to. She was so close to becoming secure in life, but in just a few months, everything was lost. The idea of the flowers is carried out onto the display, showing Ophelia's feelings. The people around him also show signs of madness, such as Ophelia and Claudius, but in different forms. his misogyny reaches all women including the one he once loved. Also the shape of the tree changes. However, Ophelia appears to be the most innocent all throughout the play. I was thinking of how she acts as a foil for Gertrude as a younger version of her and Hamlet as a female version of him. when her father gave her similar advice, she caved in and agreed to his wishes. Hamlet seems to know that Ophelia is helping her dad spy on him, and he accuses her (and all women) of being a "breeder of sinners" and orders Ophelia to a "nunnery" (3.1.131; 132), i.e. Hamlet Act 3, Scene 1 Summary & Analysis | LitCharts An evident victimized woman, ruled by her Renaissance sense of romantic love, it can further be argued that Ophelia was extremely ambiguous. She is the daughter of Polonius, the sister of Laertes, and up until the beginning of the play's events, she has also been romantically involved with Hamlet. In the novel Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Ophelia, along with many others, gets caught up in the tragic events following King Hamlet's death. Furthermore, the heightened debate of their relationship can be strengthened either way by numerous opinions, but I believe far in Prince Hamlets twisted mind he cherished and loved Ophelia. More specifically, Ophelia and her lack of self-confidence is accurately portrayed by her physical traits as someone who can be easily controlled, persuaded and manipulated. You promised me to wed. Analyzes how ophelia mourns the death of her father in the way of picking flowers. She falls into insanity and dies a tragic death. gertrude mentioned how she would've loved if she had married hamlet, but the irony remains. he cannot escape his faults, his crimes, or his life, and is trapped by his role as king. 30 Important Ophelia Quotes From Hamlet By William Shakespeare Ophelia had been madly in love with Hamlet, like most young lovers. Her family (father and brother) believe that Hamlet is a womanizer rather then the philosopher that he is. She was living a wonderful life of love until King Hamlet was murdered. Ophelia is an interesting character as she has limited options as a woman in a patriarchal society (Maki, 2) which forces her to fall into requirements of women within the era she belongs to. Analyzes how ophelia's next song is accompanied by her distribution of flowers, which mirrors funeral processions. In the beginning, of the story Hamlet makes Ophelia believe that she is the main reason for his insanity. Hamlet, I remember, at the dear Ophelias funeral, you told the whole world of your love. Through this, she is represented as being unloyal and decietful, not good qualities at all. Analyzes how ophelia takes her life in that haunting scene of a young girl, "fell in the weeping brook." Analyzes how the passage conveys the first and only sparks of defiance from ophelia. Analyzes how laertes inadvertently opened ophelia up to this role when he spoke with him about hamlet before leaving for france. Hamlets advice appears to be for the good of the play, but, in actuality, its purpose is to reveal his feeling towards Claudius, Gertrude, and Ophelia. These factors continue to diminish the subordinate attitude that Hamlet has towards, Overwhelmed by outside forces and her repressed love for Hamlet, Ophelia is truly a sad and remorseful character in this play, an innocent victim with little essence or depth. Ophelias character is portrayed as obedient, maidenly, and a mad young girl. Analyzes how william shakespeare's the tragedy of hamlet portrays a young ophelia, who battles with her desire to please her father and the man she loves dearly. Both of these women lived in the same castle, ate the same food, and lived very similar lives, although they acted at a time, completely opposite from one another. She, first, demonstrated her love for Hamlet when she asked for her fathers opinion on Hamlet. As Ophelia interacts with her brother, her father, and Hamlet, she is completely unable to assert her own independence, and her lack of personal autonomy eventually drives her to madness. Analyzes how ophelia's situation is similar to the one in john tucker must die: a girl falls for a boy at the worst possible moment. gertrude informs everyone that ophelia's heartache led to her drowning herself in the river. Good night, good night. Quoth she, Before you tumbled me, Hamlet emphasizes the hypocrisy of his words. (Welshimer 95) Hamlet has the intention of pretending to be insane in order to effectively execute his vengeful plan against Claudius and Gertrude. Ophelia comes and speaks to hamlet to return his gifts from her but Hamlet immediately realizes that something is wrong and finds out that Ophelia is being used by Claudius and Polonius to spy on him to find out the real reason of Hamlets facade of madness. She takes the step that Hamlet cannot. Analyzes how polonius is the next to step in with words of advice to his daughter. Although Ophelia (in Hamlet) is one of the least fully-realised female characters in Shakespeare she is probably the most interesting and relevant regarding current gender relations. Just mere months after King Hamlet's passing, Claudius and Gertrude feel Hamlet casts unnecessary gloom on the palace, so they ask him to cheer up, or at the very least change out of his dark clothes. It emphasizes the poisoned body politic and its affects on the innocent. But she can't call him out on his language, because, as a good girl, she can't admit that she knows what it means. Analyzes how ophelia's death can be seen in a way many young people see it: suicide is the only way out, but she didn't realize that taking her own life was permanent consequence for temporary situations. In Hamlet's eyes, Ophelia is full of the same "frailty" that he charges all women with, a corrupting force that will betray him just as he believes his mother has betrayed him and his father.. Numerous times Hamlet went to Ophelias chambers to sleep with her with his pants down he would call her many cruel names. The relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia is conceivably the most widely discussed topic as countless theories are developed throughout the story. What Is Ophelia's Role In Hamlet - 1229 Words | Bartleby For example, in act 1. scene3. After being consumed by others revenge, Ophelia suffers through many losses and sorrows. She tells him of Hamlet's accidental killing of Polonius and Claudius realizes that he could have just as easily been slain. Literature claimed Ophelia as the tragic heroine of Hamlet. Young men will do t, if they come to t; Women were only taught the basics of education, expected to not work, save it for for raising children, and were required to ask husbands for permission to do most day-to-day tasks. (Papp, par 2) Their only purposes were to raise children and to look beautiful for their husbands. They would be taken care of, so long as they married wealthily. Although Ophelia may appear to just be a beautiful, weak girl, she has the ability to gain power and attention over all of the men in her life. This character has been examined and written about multiple times. Analyzes how ophelia's response to laertes shows her maturity and respect by avoiding conflict through a calm demeanor. Analyzes how ophelia is driven insane by her desire and love for hamlet, or was she merely a casualty of an unfeasible culture. The first tree, which represents Ophelia at the start of the book, is surrounded by ammarath. Analyzes how hamlet, under the disguise of madness, lies his head in ophelia's lap, accusing her of thinking about "country matters," pretending that his intentions were not of a sexual nature. My opinion on why she was included in this play was to make the audience think its a typical romance story. Analyzes how the use of madness throughout hamlet, by william shakespeare, creates a sense of not only the breakdown of the mind, but society. With the advent of feminist criticism in the 1970s, Ophelia as subject gained and has continued a rise in status in scholarly inquiry. Shakespeares Hamlet is a feminist play located within a misogynistic culture that Ophelia struggles to escape. Hamlet - Ophelia's Identity There are volumes of critical analyses devoted to William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

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