Ophelia was another character in the story that lost her mind because of her father’s death. She was mad acting like foolish and this madness has caused her several psychological damages. Ophelia much like Hamlet has experienced the exact same thing when her father has murdered. The dilemma drove her into madness because she had no control over her emotional pain. She might become depressed because of the conflict between her father and Hamlet. She could not handle traumatic experience when she lost her father; she became insane to ultimately drown herself in the river.…
I was shocked by the madness of Ophelia, and the manner in which Gertrude approaches the situation, both were unexpected. Earlier in the novel, the relationship of Ophelia and her father is revealed, and it pears to be a very weak relationship, based on the oppression of her under her father’s rule. From this relationship that the two share I would never assume that Ophelia would be driven mad by the death of her father. I sympathize with Ophelia since she has endured so many pains, first discovering Hamlet’s madness, then discovering the death of her father. She is entirely alone in her sorrow, and the King and Queen do nothing buy agitate her and pick at her wounds. Also in this scene Gertrude refuses to see Ophelia, and only agrees when…
revailing wisdom is that one of two things is at work here: Either an inconsistency in Shakespeare's writing, which is not uncommon — his other works are fraught with them, though Hamlet far less than most. Or Shakespeare decided to up the ante on Hamlet's guilt. Gertrude could have not known the whole truth when she reported to Laertes and Claudius. She might have been trying to spare Laertes or to diffuse another tantrum on his part. The placement of the priest's admonition supports the suicide pretty solidly. So why did Ophelia do it?…
1. When Piper states “Something dramatic happens to girls in early adolescence”, what does she mean? Give examples.…
Unlike the former subordinancy demonstrated by the female sex, Ophelia’s insanity and untimely death in the final acts of the play may reveal something far more methodical. Upon Ophelia’s entrance in Act 4, she sings nonsense songs that are rarely interpreted as anything other than her madness. However, the young woman begins to hand out flowers to those around her. Fitting to the Elizabethan setting of the play, each flower represents something different, something important. Fennel is flattery and deceit, relating to Claudius and Polonius’ use of her; pansies are for thoughts, possibly due to Ophelia’s former lack of independent thought; columbines for the foolishness of the rulers of Denmark; daisies for her innocence. Rosemary may represent…
Ophelia was a modern day good girl gone bad. She obeyed her father, Polonius, and brother, Laertes’ wishes to stay away from Prince Hamlet while trying to fight for her love for Hamlet and being herself. Throughout the entire play Ophelia is used as pawn in a game of revenge between Hamlet, Polonius, and King Claudius. Polonius and Laertes forbid Ophelia from seeing Hamlet because they believe that he is only using her for sex, yet Polonius uses her to seek information from Hamlet as though she were his personal spy. Although Hamlet loves Ophelia and genuinely cares for her, he sees the danger he and the royal court pose on her. Hamlet wants to get her away from the corruption while putting on an act for King Claudius to prove that he is really mad, and in that attempt, acts as though Ophelia means nothing to him. He treats her in the same manner he treats his mother and all women for that matter. Hamlet sees all women as ignorant and deceitful. Despite Ophelia’s ability to see through Hamlet’s charade, there is still a sense of pain in the words he speaks to her. “Get thee to a nunnery, go. Farewell...To a nunnery, go, and quickly too. Farewell.” (Act 3.1) This had to have been the largest insult to Ophelia ever spoken, but was not meant in that…
Various characters in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet exhibit aspects of an “outsider”. The obvious choices being Claudius and Hamlet. Claudius appears to be freed from moral restrictions, while Hamlet represents the stereotypical isolated intellectual. However, both of them pale in comparison to the true outsider in the play: Ophelia. Both Claudius and Hamlet are too respected and entangled in the lives of others to be considered the ultimate estranged outsider. Ophelia on the other hand, is constantly pushed to the periphery, despite her significant relationships with many of the main characters. She is also unable to comply with the restrictive and conflicting expectations placed upon her.…
Hamlet’s lust for Ophelia is shown how he fights over her. For example, when Hamlet jumps in Ophelia's grave with Laertes and…
Ophelia was sinking in oblivion; it was impossible for self- awareness to take place. Her deteriorating mental state stopped her catharsis. In the end was there really anyway for Ophelia to know that her suicide would serve as a fatal catalyst? No, by then Ophelia’s judgment and forethought were irretrievable. She was no longer in control of her actions the same way she was no longer sound of mind. Her death created unforeseen ripple effects that ultimately kill Hamlet and Laerates. Without her ability to reason and judge the soundness of her actions, Ophelia cannot be held responsible for the events that took place after her perceived…
In the story “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare the character of Ophelia is quite a challenge to understand. Ophelia is Hamlets love interest, whom many thought was mad or psychologically disturbed from the beginning of the story. That may have been true, but it was not necessarily the whole truth. Ophelia could have been mad or just been madly in love. She also could have been putting on a cloak of madness to hide the fact that she was in on Hamlets plan to expose the King for killing his father. Ophelia was not as crazy or weak as others perceived her; she was actually quite clever and in on the whole plan with Hamlet and didn’t really go crazy until after he got banished.…
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross wrote, “Watching a peaceful death of a human being reminds us of a falling star; one of a million lights in a vast sky that flares up for a brief moment only to disappear into the endless night forever.” The paintings of Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet are a classic representation of the human race’s desire for peace through death. Many versions of Ophelia through the depiction of paint can be viewed online. The Art Renewal Center Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art show great representations. John Everett Millais, Eugene Delacroix, Alexandre Cabanel, John William Waterhouse whose works…
Whether Hamlet loves Ophelia or not is very interesting in the sense that we see he is…
Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a revenge tragedy play that primarily focuses on Hamlet’s quest to avenge his father’s death. The tragedy of Hamlet, while mostly revolving around Hamlet himself, also concerns the character of Ophelia, and Hamlet’s relationship with her throughout the play. Despite of her absence from all but five scenes, Ophelia manages to receive a considerable amount of attention, as her character becomes truly tragic with her realization that she is powerless politically, socially, and psychologically amongst the men in her life, and without them. As a woman with limited options in a patriarchal society, this realization drives her mad, ultimately resulting in her death.…
Ophelia came to America the only way that she could: illegally. The risks and the sinfulness of it stayed fresh in her mind, but the hardships she faced while living in Mexico were much more prominent. America was good to Ophelia; it gave her a job, it gave her a sense of security, and, above all else, it gave her Ramon. Ramon was a legal citizen of the United States, and according to the U.S. immigration policy, Ophelia was now a legal citizen as well as a result of their marriage (“How the United States Immigration System Works”). Ramon and Ophelia lived happily in the state of Oklahoma, where Ramon found a great job with a small oil company. Her children and step children lived here, as well as her grandchildren. Prayers started each night…
It seems as if only the gods could be blamed for the tragic ending of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. How could one not blame them, for they placed a prophecy on the king, his wife and their son, sending them to their dreadful doom. Perhaps there is more to be seen in this famous Greek tragedy. Perhaps the blame does not belong completely to the gods, but to the victims of the prophecy. Sophocles exemplifies this throughout the play using methods of symbolism, actions and words.…
