Comparing Ophelia And Laertes In Shakespeare's Hamlet

Madness, the state of being mentally ill, exuberating extreme behavior, or a state of a frenzied mind. A definition which is a recurring major theme in Hamlet. By comparing and contrasting Hamlet to Ophelia, readers can see the different state of mind between the two characters.

    In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the characters of Laertes and Hamlet both display impulsive reactions when angered. Once Laertes discovers his father has been murdered, he immediately assumes the slayer is Claudius. As a result of Laertes' speculation, he instinctively moves to avenge Polonius' death. "To hell, allegiance! Vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation: to this point I stand, that both worlds I give to negligence, let come what comes; only I'll be revenged most thoroughly for my father." Act 4 Scene 5 lines 128-134 provide insight into Laertes' mind, displaying his desire for revenge at any cost.

The first event, in which Ophelia’s “death” adds to the plight of the already grieving Laertes may influence the reader/audience to feel sympathetic towards him. Shakespeare could have used a random messenger to deliver the news of Ophelia’s death but the use of Gertrude in this scene makes this news more heartbreaking for Laertes. In the speech spoken to Laertes by Gertrude, it is somewhat implied that Ophelia knowingly committed suicide. Ophelia’s mental state in the scene’s before the drowning definitely did foreshadow her downfall. The neglect she received from Hamlet and the death of her father was too much for her to handle. In the case of Ophelia, her relationship with Hamlet was the direct cause of her demise. Similarly, this also applies

Not only is Ophelia's death marked much less significant than the other male deaths noted in the previously mentioned articles, but Ophelia’s death is articulated as a passive accident, one that happened to occur, to no avail. Every other death in the play is met with vigorous analysis and criticism, unphased by the death of Ophelia, inadvertently caused by men. Ophelia is also described as “mermaid-like” adding to the previously set notion that women are sexual objects- even at death. At this point of the play, Hamlet proclaims in a bipolar and seemingly fraudulent manner that he has always loved Ophelia (although he ordered her to “get thee to a nunnery” and was the root of her abrupt madness and suicide), while Laertes threatens that he loved Ophelia more. The attention and passion are still not recognized and respected with Ophelia even after her death but is used as a game between two men to satisfy their guilt and build their ego, competing for the love of Ophelia that was only disrespected when she was

Death is something many people dread and avoid at all costs. The death of someone can greatly affect other and the impact is greater when someone dies by someone else's hand. The story of Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a story of death and murder. However, many characters play a hand in their own death. Claudius killed many family members, Hamlet killed his girlfriend's family, and Laertes tried to kill Hamlet. Many people feel that the characters were killed by other characters. This may be the case; however, it lacks all the evidence. The characters in Hamlet are responsible for their own deaths.

Hamlet is the prince of the recently deceased king who was murdered by his brother in order to marry his wife to get the crown. To analyze Hamlet’s insanity it is required to go into his personal life including his family and friends and how he is even though to be insane. Hamlet first questioned his sanity when he, Horatio and others encountered the ghost of his dead father who told eventually told him that Claudius killed him. Hamlet then puts himself in a position to tell the Horatio and others to not say anything about what they just saw and encountered. People begin to question Hamlet’s sanity when he starts to act differently and eventually tells Gertrude that he has seen her husbands ghost.

   Michael Pennington in “Ophelia: Madness Her Only Safe Haven,” elucidates the character of Ophelia in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet:

Have you been in love? Love does not have any shape, It does not look at social classes, skin color, even if your parents do not like you to be with her o him, but sometimes those are small obstacles that do not allow us to be with the person we love. A clear example, can be Ophelia and Hamlet on the play called Hamlet written by William Shakespeare. This pair of characters were in love with each other, but, Polonius, Ophelia's father, was against this relationship because he thinks Hamlet is playing around with her. As many relationships, everybody has parallel and contrast things. Even though compared to Hamlet, Ophelia has someone who supports her after her father's death , Hamlet and Ophelia loss of a parental figure and both of them

    Ophelia's downfall continues throughout the play, and her final plunge into the waters of madness and suicide culminate around her father's death. Hamlet, while talking threateningly to his mother, accidentally slays Polonius who was hiding behind the curtain in his mother's room. Hamlet thought it was Claudius he heard coming to his mother's aid when she cried for help and lunged at the curtain with his sword, killing Polonius. "O, I am slain!" were his final words. After Ophelia learns of her father's death at the hands of her estranged lover, she goes

Hamlet´s excuse for being “mad” is to confirm the validity of the accusations on his uncle, but this is only a way to conceal his own truth, that he is mad. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet states that he wants to die, and that by suicide, a circumstance of his constant depression. Ophelia is visited by Hamlet, only to be permeated with fear at the sight of his horrid actions. It is shown throughout the play that Hamlet is not faking his madness, but is using the antic disposition to cover the truth. Hamlet has openly stated that he had a desire to commit suicide. ”

Losing a loved one can take a harsh hit on one’s frame of mind. In the Shakespearian play Hamlet, the death of Hamlets father caused many problems, all of which eventually lead up to the tragic death of Hamlet. Each event that happens in the play is impacted by reason, fate and emotion. The events throughout the play that lead to hamlets downfall are determined by the roles of reason, fate and emotion. These three roles are key factors of the play.

  In Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, the audience finds a docile, manipulated, scolded, victimized young lady named Ophelia. Ophelia is a foil to Hamlet. Plays have foils to help the audience better understand the more important characters in the play.  The character of Ophelia is necessary so that the audience will give Hamlet a chance to get over his madness and follow his heart.

Denmark is in a state of chaos shown by the opening death of the true

The play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, looks at the issue of madness and how it effects the characters of the play. Madness can be looked at from very different perspectives, such as strong and uncontrollable emotions, a person’s desires, and also a persons mental stability. Throughout the play, the audience is questioning the sanity of the main character, Hamlet, as he goes on his quest for revenge. The people around him also show signs of madness, such as Ophelia and Claudius, but in different forms. Existentialist philosopher Friedrich Nietzche says, “There is always some madness in love. But there is also some reason in madness.” What Nietzche is saying is that when you are in love with someone or something, there is always a little

QUEEN. I will, my lord; I pray you pardon me. (5.2.262-64) Soon after this exchange of words, the Queen falls ill to the poisoned drink and dies. The only time she ever makes a choice for herself, she dies because of it. This adds evidence by showing she is not able to make a correct decision. Ophelia dies earlier on in the play of suspected suicide. She drowns after going insane over her father’s death, while her brother is left perfectly sane. Laertes may want revenge, but his wits are in good shape. Left without her father to make every single choice for