Hamlet And Ophelia Analysis

In the iconic play, Hamlet, there are quite a few mental and emotional disorders that are hinted at or clearly stated. It’s not just one character who suffers from them either. While most people believe that it is just Hamlet suffering from a mental or emotional disorder, Ophelia also deals with her own mental health. Hamlet suffers from depression and bipolar disorder, while Ophelia suffers from hysteria, which is caused by her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and is also a victim of psychological abuse. This is proven by how she reacts to how Hamlet and her father treat her, and how she deals with her father’s death. Hamlet’s depression is triggered by his father’s murder, and it’s mentioned that he’s always been dramatic but that doesn’t

She suffers from psychological abuse, due to the way she is treated by her father and Hamlet himself. This is also due to her gender, as women weren’t valued in her time, or the time when the play was created. Some symptoms that prove she is a victim of such abuse are things such as her need for Hamlet and her father’s approval. She essentially breaks herself in order to please them both, because as a woman she is objectified and doesn’t realize that she doesn’t have to live her life just to please others. Mary Pipher, who wrote “Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls”, states that “"As a girl, Ophelia is happy and free, but with adolescence she loses herself. When she falls in love with Hamlet, she lives only for his approval. She has no inner direction; rather she struggles to meet the demands of Hamlet and her father. Her value is determined utterly by their approval. Ophelia is torn apart by her efforts to please." She continues on to say, "Ophelia died because she could not grow. She became the object of others ' lives and lost her true subjective self." Ophelia also deals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, more widely known as PTSD as a result of her father’s death. This is caused not only because of his death but also because of events that have happened leading up to his death. She is controlled by her father Polonius and has to deal with

There were many things that could’ve helped with Ophelia’s mental health, such as a better support system, not being abandoned by Hamlet. Both characters were pushed over the edge by a parent’s death, and both of their fathers’ deaths could’ve been prevented. If Hamlet’s uncle wouldn’t have killed Hamlet’s father, he wouldn’t have slipped into his depression and wouldn’t have felt the need to avenge his father’s death, which in turn would’ve saved everyone’s lives. Many things could’ve been avoided, but they weren’t and the characters were forced to deal with the aftermath of the