Value Of Ophelia In Shakespeare's Hamlet

308 Words2 Pages
Historically, a woman’s value has come from her marriage. This is reflected in Shakespeare’s work Hamlet, especially in Ophelia’s role. While Ophelia’s brother is encouraged to travel the world and interact by their father, Ophelia is told to keep her purity and stay away from men until a proper marriage can be arranged. This represents how Ophelia’s value is tied to her marriage and her virginity, rather than any other positive characteristic she may have, and reminds the audience that Ophelia holds little value, especially compared to her brother, who serves as her male counterpart. The audience further sees how Ophelia is only valued for her virginity and purity when Hamlet insults her shouting “Get thee to a nunnery” (page number here).