Examples Of Ophelia's Madness In Hamlet

Polonius and society to blame
The meaning of madness is to act in that of a frenzied or chaotic manner. Madness is woven throughout the characters written by William Shakespeare. One of the most present examples of this manner is present in the character Ophelia from the play Hamlet. The play is about a man, Hamlet, who is madly in love with Ophelia. She goes crazy, and because of her madness she drowns in a river. In the article “Ophelia’s ‘Old Lauds’: madness and hagiography in Hamlet. (Articles)(Critical Essay).” by Alison A. Chapman, the story of Ophelia’s madness is taken into deeper meaning when the author compares the causes leading up to her untimely demise. Although some may believe Ophelia goes mad because of Hamlet, she actually

Throughout the play the two can be seen interacting only a handful of times. Many scenes speak of Hamlet’s actions but don’t actually include his presence, such as the talk that happens between Ophelia and her father over what she should do. Once the climax of Hamlet’s actions take effect there is no real indicator that suggests he is the perpetrator of anything that follows. The climax is the event of him walking into Ophelia’s room unclothed, yet this turning point is only significant to Hamlet himself. If the following events with Polonius hadn’t taken place Ophelia would most likely be fine as she is directly after the climax. The way Hamlet acted throughout the play was the reason Polonius and Ophelia brought up love,though Polonius’s reaction to what happens is more impactful than what Hamlet did. Since there is more than one factor at play, Hamlet is not to blame for Ophelia’s

Within the society Hamlet is set in, there is a whirlwind of pressure imposed on Ophelia that may have warped her views on the world. A simple explanation of this pressure is present in the religious values taught to her by her father. Religion is usually passed down from parent to child, and even more so in this time period. It is critical to understand that this time period is to be held in its own regard rather than compared to nowadays. It would be a mistake to impose “...a modern understanding of sex and religion as separate categories…[when they were seen] as profoundly connected” (2 Chapman). Since religion and sex are connected on a deeper level to those in Hamlet’s time Ophelia is subjected to her moral values coming into conflict with how she views Hamlet’s lust. Another example of societal pressure is described when Ophelia dies and Hamlet’s mother expresses she “hoped thou shouldst have been [her] Hamlet’s wife…” (Shakespeare V. i. 255). Despite her sharing this opinion after Ophelia’s death, it indicate how fast things are expected to move relationship-wise within this life. Ophelia’s young mind is shaped by her father, Polonius, to view Hamlet's approach as “love” whereas it is actually more of a chaotic blunder. Society’s imposing forces are a way to try and control her, so when not controlled she is left to the hands oh herself. Ophelia’s own wellbeing faulters at