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Free Hamlet Essays: Ophelia Character Analysis

1409 Words6 Pages

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 …show more content…

The madness and death of Ophelia presented much more meaning than what can superficially read. Chen emphasizes that, “In other words, Ophelia is more than just a flat character... With her transformation from the obedient daughter of Polonius to the mad woman who speaks of bawdy connotations at the court, Ophelia’s madness displays her inner conflicts and plight that she fails to ease” (2). Ophelia’s outbreak is a change from the woman’s habit behavior. The representation of liberation and identity can be found in her death as in between context, Shakespeare introduces the thought of revolutionizing the comportment expected of a woman by incorporating Ophelia’s madness. Including Ophelia’s insanity provided a gateway from oppression in a different perspective thus, empowering the feelings and emotions of the woman. Ophelia was formed as a tool to be exploited to the advantage of others but, became transformed into a symbol of beautiful psychotic madness, Ophelia’s last

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In his tragic play, Hamlet, Shakespeare demonstrates how corrupt the society were in Denmark. Ophelia–the leading female character–is depicted as both innocent and non-politically inclined, but the fact that she has no voice in this patriarchal society, drives her to the point that leads to her inevitable death. In act 4 scene 7, it reveals Ophelia’s burden of living a life to deal with tolerating Hamlet’s manipulation and to be obligated to honor the words of her father’s and brother’s. When reporting Ophelia’s death, Gertrude states that “there is a willow grows askant the brook” (4.7. 190). The “willow” is symbolic to Ophelia’s death because it relates the situation of her death where she is mourning the desertion of Hamlet’s love.

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478 Words | 2 Pages

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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798 Words | 4 Pages

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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728 Words | 3 Pages

People will do whatever they can to protect the ones they love, no matter the cost. Prince Hamlet in the William Shakespeare play, Hamlet, did exactly that, trying to shield Ophelia firstly from the court. Additionally, he didn’t even trust her father and wanted to remove her from Polonius’ influence as well. On top of that, Hamlet wanted to protect him from even himself. In the end, Hamlet wanted to keep Ophelia safe from the court, her father, and ultimately himself, despite what some may argue.

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948 Words | 4 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Shakespeare uses range of literary techniques such as soliloquies to express Hamlet’s depression and anger. Hamlet’s emotions play a crucial role to achieve his secret ambitions. Events such as King Hamlet’s death, Hamlet’s mother’s expeditious marriage, conflict between Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet’s depression and anger is expressed throughout the play but what are the causes. The root of Hamlet’s feelings of depression and anger was his father’s death.

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1154 Words | 5 Pages

Ophelia’s madness is caused by the actions of others in the story. “Madness becomes Ophelia’s last resort, her unconscious revolt. Indeed what else is left for her to do? Offering her an escape, madness provides her with the ability to finally speak her anger and desire” (Dane,412).Her father tells her to stay away from Hamlet, who she has fallen in love with. Hamlet has warned her earlier that whatever he tells her in the future will not be true but, when he tells her he does not intent to be with her it starts the beginning of her madness.

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932 Words | 4 Pages

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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803 Words | 4 Pages

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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1410 Words | 6 Pages

In the Tragedy of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, some of the most significant events are mental or psychological events that make the audience feel and have an emotional connection with the characters. Moreover, these significant events are categorized as new awakenings, discoveries, and changes in consciousness that set off a mental or psychological effect to the readers. The author, Shakespeare, gives these internal events to characters such as Ophelia, Gertrude, and Hamlet throughout the play to give the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax which associate with their external action. Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius and the sister of Laertes, who both tell her to stop seeing Hamlet. To Polonius, Ophelia is an eternal virgin who is going to be a

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1024 Words | 5 Pages

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.

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1140 Words | 5 Pages

In the Tragedy of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, some of the most significant events are mental or psychological events that make the audience feel and have an emotional connection with the characters. These significant events can be awakenings, discoveries, and changes in consciousness that set off a mental or psychological effect to the readers. The author, Shakespeare, gives these internal events to characters such as Ophelia, Gertrude, and Hamlet throughout the play to give the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action. Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius and the sister of Laertes who both tell her to stop seeing Hamlet. To Polonius, Ophelia is an eternal virgin who is going to be a dutiful

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1234 Words | 5 Pages

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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745 Words | 3 Pages

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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1427 Words | 6 Pages

In “Hamlet” a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, the death of a character is an occurring event. William Shakespeare uses imagery and allusion to demonstrate the result of manipulation from other characters upon Ophelia, daughter of Polonius, and leading up to her death. Her death was not the consequence of disgraceful actions of her own, but rather by the involvement of others and their influence on her life. Hamlet’s apparent rejection of her love and her father’s personal vindictive leads up to her simple-minded state, entering a world of madness. She has now gone mad, singings nonsense songs and giving people flowers that she has picked from the garden.

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1015 Words | 5 Pages

The audience is thrown into the heart of Denmark, torn by turmoil and suspicion after the late King’s death. Hamlet then embarks on an emotional journey to avenge his father’s murder and restore peace, but at the same time wrecks havoc on his own mind. Unable to cope with his problems, he falls into madness. Hamlet’s lover, Ophelia, is also driven mad by the conflicting emotions eventually causing her to commit suicide in order to escape the dangerous political situation. There is a continuous theme of madness and the causes of such a state in both characters, but while each display multiple examples of their own madness, the causes and results of their madness are different for both.

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