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Examples Of Mental Illness In The Elizabethan Era

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Mental illness was highly disregarded and an under-researched element in the Elizabethan Era. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet, the main character, is commonly analyzed and discussed regarding his mental state. However, another important character with a questionable mental state is Ophelia. Shakespeare utilizes the indirect characterization of Ophelia and the theme of patriarchal conflicts in order to comment on Elizabethans’ views on madness in women. He emphasizes the suppression of women and the detrimental effects associated with said suppression. Throughout the story, Ophelia demonstrates symptoms of a mental illness and ultimately ends up committing suicide. While analyzing the character Ophelia, Nancy Andreasen, a neuropsychologist, …show more content…

Her death by suicide is a not-uncommon consequence of untreated schizoaffective disorder” (Andreason) Andreason explains in her literary anaylisis “The Artist as Scientist”, that Shakespeare utilizes dialogue to explore and explain mental illness and the effect it plays on women in the Elizabethan era. Ophelia’s actions and characterization illustrate the symptoms of Schizoaffective disorder. During the Elizabethan era, mental illness was not yet researched, therefore Ophelia was labeled as having erotomania, also known as love-madness. Knowing this, Ophelia was treated and was taught to be embarrassed by her body. Hamlet and Ophelia have a conversation in which Hamlet brings up her body: That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs. What is, my …show more content…

Ophelia is having an internal conflict in which she has her own beliefs and values but is forced to follow the wishes of her father. After seeing the hypocrisy in her father and her lover Ophelia loses trust in love. Ophelia’s father states that “Then I’ll tell you. Believe that you are a foolish little baby for believing these “offers” are something real. Offer yourself more respect, or—not to beat this word to death—you’ll offer me the chance to be a laughing-stock.” (Hamlet. I. 3.105-107). In “Dominated Daughters”, Dehre comments on the idea that because Ophelia and other women, are silenced and taught to submit to authority, they suffer and are unable to fully become adults: “Stunned into a fear of her lover and a childlike dependency on her father, Ophelia suddenly has them both removed, and even her brother is out of the country. She collapses into madness because she knows not where to turn for guidance“ (Dehre). Ophelia respects her fathers beliefs knowing he must be “wiser” but, ultimately this leads her to be so dependent on him. After losing her father Ophelia ends up losing herself with him as well. Shakespeare utilizes the characterization of Ophelia to comment on patriarchal influences on women and the effects that occur because of these

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Her initial denial comes from the rejection of her love by Hamlet, leading to anger and confusion. She then begins to bargain with herself, trying to understand why Hamlet has treated her so coldly. As the play progresses, Ophelia's depression deepens. She becomes overwhelmed by the events around her, ultimately leading to her tragic demise. Ophelia's story shows how grief can be not only a response to loss but also to rejection and disappointment.

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Thus, Ophelia’s “madness” is determined by the extent to which she subverts female gender expectations. The more she exhibits traits traditionally associated with men, the more “mad” she becomes. In this context, Ophelia serves as both a caricature and a warning against female enlightenment as told through a patriarchal lense. She is ultimately ostracized from society, implying that women who seek freedom will receive the same fate as

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Emily Dickinson once said “Much madness is divinest Sense— To a discerning Eye—“. This type of madness can be found in the play “Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Though many characters show madness throughout the play, Ophelia’s madness is the most prevalent. Ophelia has good reason for this irrational behavior because of the trauma she has gone through. First, her boyfriend dumps her, then he calls her vulgar names, and lastly, he kills her father.

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One primary example which proves the insanity behind Hamlet’s loss of love for Ophelia is when he berates her for being a pawn of her father. During his encounter with Ophelia, Hamlet states that, “If thou dost marry, I’ll give thee this plague for thy dowry. Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, go. Farewell” (x).

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Ophelia goes mad throughout the story. She is overwhelmed by the loss of her father and the rejection of Hamlet. Her character is seen spiraling down a dark path that also ends in death. Ophelia is depicted as not having control over her actions; speaking and acting erratically. While Hamlet is speaking erratically and behaving oddly, he still maintains control over his actions and movement throughout the story.

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As one incapable of her own distress… To muddy death” (IV, vii, 164-185). Here readers see that truly Ophelia’ madness has quite literally driven her to her death. While it is unknown if her death was an accident or suicide, it is clear to see that if it were not for her delusion, she would have had the ability to be cautious and self aware, thus preventing her drowning. The culminating effects of her father dying and Hamlet’s abandonment have driven Ophelia not only to a delusional state, but to her death.

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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. In the end her battle to please the men in her life, along with the constant betrayals and deaths, led to her own madness and death. Ophelia had become a fallen angel trying to please herself and those around her. Natalie Merchant portrayed this very well in her song lyrics entitled, Ophelia.

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In “Hamlet” William Shakespeare uses the character Ophelia to get to the men around her. She’s portrayed as a weak, trusting woman that tells her father and brother everything. They see her as a virtuous, unsuspecting, loyal daughter. Hamlet sees her differently. He sees her as an object, easily disposable.

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This is where we first see Ophelia deteriorating a person. The next thing that drove her off a cliff was her father being murdered. Claudius said “O, this is the poison of deep grief;

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The tragedy of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare conveys the catastrophic lives and deaths of the royalty in Denmark, and how each others trickery and actions lead to the demise of everyone involved. In the disastrous play, deaths and the secret causes of these murders are brought to life, forcing the insanity in the play to begin. Hamlet and Ophelia’s madness inadvertently infects everyone involved, whether the madness is real or not. There is a variation of madness in Hamlet, but the difference between Ophelia and Hamlet’s is that one is true madness while the other fades throughout the entirety of the play. Ophelia’s madness impacts the majority of her personal life very negatively, whilst Hamlet fakes madness negatively affects the ones around him.

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In Shakespeare’s novel, Hamlet, many characters were introduced as monumental pieces that made up the work as a whole. One significant character was Ophelia, daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, and lover of Hamlet. As much of the book was based around the plot of revenge, madness was a key description of the book’s identity and to which was passed to beloved and harmless Ophelia. Ophelia’s madness and loss of self conscious is significant as it shows the side of lost identity, the weak mind, and the negative influence of a life condemned to dictatorship. Although the madness and eventual death of Ophelia can be surfaced to the grief of her losses, it could also be used to introduced as a breakthrough in gendered stereotypes and serve a comparison on

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This provokes him to say that god gives women one face, but they use make up to paint on another one. This quote suggest that Hamlet sees woman as naive and gullible creatures, as he sees Ophelia as nothing but an object that is owned by her father, as she is helping him with all of his dirty work. Hamlet believes that woman cannot be trusted as they have are deceiving. He also sees Ophelia as a grown women who is unable to make her own decisions. Hamlet is utterly disgusted by how feeble Ophelia is as she was following her father's scheme.

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Ophelia is grieving the loss of her father after Hamlet kills him. Ophelia doesn't know that Hamlet killed her father. But Ophelia has gone mad from learning about her father's death. Also, after Hamlet telling Ophelia that she needs to go to a nunnery, Ophelia is a little bit discouraged. She is discouraged because Hamlet had told her before that if Ophelia would sleep with him that they would get married.

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To begin with, Ophelia is one of the women that Hamlet has a close association with and many of the negative aspects of his personality are reflected onto her because of his underdeveloped anima. Hamlet rejects Ophelia, which symbolizes him rejecting his anima “I loved you not” (3.1.119). Secondly, as Ophelia returns the love letters from Hamlet he knows that she is not being honest, and he knows that she loves him. As Hamlet realises this he tells her “this was sometime a paradox, but now the time gives it proof” (3.1.114-115). It can be argued that Hamlet saying that women are terrible and it shows his disgust towards his inner woman on Ophelia.

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