Hamlet - Ophelia's Identity Essay

The story of Hamlet is a morbid tale of tragedy, commitment, and manipulation; this is especially evident within the character of Ophelia. Throughout the play, Ophelia is torn between obeying and following the different commitments that she has to men in her life. She is constantly torn between the choice of obeying the decisions and wishes of her family or that of Hamlet. She is a constant subject of manipulation and brain washing from both her father and brother. Ophelia is not only subject to the torture of others using her for their intentions but she is also susceptible to abuse from Hamlet. Both her father and her brother believe that Hamlet is using her to achieve his own personal goals.

Even though Ophelia has a fondness for Hamlet, she listens to her father when he tells her to leave Hamlet alone. Conclusion.

Ophelia’s father, Polonius, wishes to keep his family’s honor in tact, and fears that Ophelia’s open regard for Hamlet will diminish his honor. Both Polonius and Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, believe that Ophelia’s preference for Hamlet will only end in disgrace for their family, as Hamlet would never marry her due to her lower social standing, therefore, they counsel her to break off any understanding with Hamlet. As a woman, Ophelia realizes her duty to her father and her brother, and therefore decides to disregard her own feelings about Hamlet and do as her father and brother wish.

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

Laertes acts much like his father in taking a position of authority over Ophelia. He feels free to tell Ophelia what she has to do with her love life and expects she will oblige his demand. Like his father, he too tells her to break off her relationship with Hamlet. However, his reasoning is not selfish; he is worrying about her virginity, her reputation, and the

  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.

Ophelia is also put forth as a foil to Lord Hamlet. Before the events of the play unravel Ophelia, whom is the daughter of Polonius and sister of Laertes, gives us traits of Hamlet She reveals that he was a model courtier and scholar, “The glass of fashion and the mould of form, Th’ observed of all observers.” Ophelia also offers another dimension to the story, the love interest. They both love each other, even though it may seem that this love is not a legitimate one too many seeing as how Hamlet was going crazy. Or so it seemed, yet again she brings out information to us, that Hamlet was not nuts but just enraged.

Shakespeare places many interesting characters in his plays. Claudius, Polonius, Marcellus, and Reynaldo are a few from his play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. However, Ophelia appears to be the most innocent all throughout the play. This character has either indirectly or directly affected the lives of every main characters in the script. Ophelia’s character is portrayed as obedient, maidenly, and a mad young girl.

A young girl, innocent, gullible, and passionate, Ophelia, has her view of men and the world in general poisoned. Her brother Laertes counsels her that hamlet might be playing on her emotions that will affect her affections and to,”fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister, / And keep you in the rear of your affection, / Out of the shot and danger of desire” ( Hamlet 1.3.37-39). By this conversation Laertes tries to inform Ophelia about distrust within others. Not long after, Polonius has a chat with her about the relationship she has with Hamlet. Polonius elaborates on Laertes advice “even in their promise, as it is a-making, You must not take for fire” (Hamlet 1.3.128-29). Trying to get her to realize that Hamlet is deceiving her in swearing his love, and that she should shy away from his false vows, everything people say could be faked for their own intentions. In general the

Laertes in Ophelia's grave. Hamlet tells her that he never loved her when she returns his

In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare developed the story of prince Hamlet, and the murder of his father by the king's brother, Claudius. Hamlet reacted to this event with an internal battle that harmed everyone around him. Ophelia was the character most greatly impacted by Hamlet's feigned and real madness - she first lost her father, her sanity, and then her life. Ophelia, obedient, weak-willed, and no feminist role model, deserves the most pity of any character in the play.

When Ophelia tells Polonius, her father, what she and Laertes were talking about, Polonius reiterates exactly what Laertes said and forbids her from seeing Hamlet, saying later that the prince is “out of [her] star (II.2.150).” Yet, Gertrude later, at Ophelia’s funeral, says that she had hoped that Hamlet and Ophelia would marry, which shows that whether Hamlet, Ophelia, and her family knew it or not, Ophelia would have been approved by the King and Queen for Hamlet and was not considered beneath him, at least not by the Queen (V.1.255). Though, there may be some indication that the Queen was beneath Hamlet’s father’s station as well, so she would be more excepting and sympathetic to Ophelia and her feelings (I.5.55-59). But, when the ‘adults’ discuss the cause of Hamlet’s madness, no one listens to the Queen’s astute understanding that her son is unhappy about her marriage, and the King listens instead to the other man in the discussion, Polonius and Polonius’s idea that Hamlet is mad for love. When Ophelia is sent to talk to Hamlet in Act III, both the King and Polonius hide behind a tapestry instead of trusting her to tell them what was actually said. Perhaps the reason Hamlet is so horrible to her after his soliloquy is because he realizes that the King and Polonius are listening in on them and he feels betrayed.

 In similar fashion does Ophelia manifest great familial affection, agreeing to comply with the advice of her brother Laertes: “I shall the effect of this good lesson keep / As watchman to my heart.”  When her father, Polonius, makes inquiry regarding the “private time” which Hamlet has been giving to Ophelia, she replies unreservedly, “He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders / Of his affection to me,” and elaborates mightily on the subject. Polonius insists that she “from this time forth” not “give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet,” and Ophelia dutifully complies with his wishes: “I shall obey, my lord.” She later even gives him her love-letters from Hamlet. When she acts as a decoy so that Polonius and Claudius can observe the prince, resulting in Ophelia’s chastisement by the protagonist, she nevertheless keeps him as the main focus in her life: “O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!” Her love for brother, father, boyfriend, and others generally, override her love of self. Her respect for the opinions of immediate family is greater than her respect for her own opinions even in the matter of her courtship.

At the beginning of the play, Ophelia’s and Hamlet’s feelings towards each other are made clear. Ophelia is head over heels in love with Hamlet. She believes that Hamlet sincerely loves her, and it is possible that she and Hamlet will one day get married. Hamlet feels the same way about Ophelia. Hamlet loves Ophelia very much and he even writes a letter to her that declares how much he loves her. “…I am ill at these numbers. I have not art to reckon my groans, but I love thee best…” (Shakespeare, 2.2.119-120). Even though Hamlet claims to have strong feelings for Ophelia, Laertes disagrees. For most of the play, Laertes makes it known to Ophelia that he does not believe Hamlet truly loves her. Laertes believes that Hamlet is using Ophelia

I like what you had to say about Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship. Up until Act 3, scene 1, Shakespeare doesn’t give us any interaction between the young couple. The audience merely receives secondhand accounts about their budding romance. Ophelia’s brother Laertes believes that “for Hamlet and the trifling of his favor, hold it a fashion and a toy in blood, a violet in the youth of primy nature, forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting, the perfume and suppliance of a minute. No more” (I, iii, 5-10). Laertes and his father Polonius believe that Hamlet has feelings for Ophelia now but as he belongs to the royal family, he has obligations to his family and to his country that he can’t turn his back on. They warn her to watch her back and don’t believe that Hamlet’s love is anything more than just lust. Ophelia is torn because she tells her father that Hamlet has offered her a lot of