Ophelia is by far one of the most tragic characters in Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Hamlet. She loses everything she holds precious, such as her father and Hamlet’s affections, and is manipulated by the men who claim to love her. Throughout the play, Ophelia is nothing but a pawn in the men’s schemes. The people around her mask their true intentions, leading her to a life of deceit. Not to mention, the details of her death, as told by Queen Gertrude, are questionable and leave the reader in the shadows regarding the nature of her passing. However, it is arguable that Ophelia committed suicide due to her unstable mental state and overwhelming grief.
The death of a loved one can really take a toll on a person’s mental and physical health. After Polonius was slain by Hamlet, Ophelia was consumed by grief. She developed unusual behaviors, as can be observed in Act 4, Scene 5, where she replies to people’s questions with songs about death and betrayal, rather than giving a straight answer. It is evident that her father’s death affected her mental state in a negative manner; being in this state, it is plausible Ophelia did not care about the religious complications regarding suicide, and decided to take her life. Furthermore, like almost all women in that era, Ophelia’s decisions were heavily influenced and often even controlled by the current man in their lives. In
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This power imbalance made men believe that it was alright to use people, particularly women. to obtain what they wanted. Such was the case with Ophelia, where in Act 3, Scene 1, the King utilized her to figure out the truth behind Hamlet’s madness. She was subjected to Hamlet’s erratic behavior, completely disregarding Ophelia’s feelings or what Hamlet could do to her. This level of manipulation and neglect would be enough to make Ophelia think less of herself, thus leading her to more mental