Ophelia and Hamlet in The Tragedy of Hamlet Essay

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

In the exchange between Laertes and Ophelia, one learns a great deal about Hamlet, as well. Laertes explains to his sister that she must consider Hamlet's rank and position and know that he is not free to choose a bride for himself (1.3.19-26). He also cautions her not put any faith in "Hamlet, and the trifling of his favor / [and to] Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood, / A violet in the youth of primy nature" (1.3.5-7). He means that Hamlet follows a passing whim where she is concerned, and that he does not truly love her. In other words, Laertes impresses upon Ophelia that Hamlet merely feels toward her the passion that is present in the springtime of youth. It is clear that Laertes believes he is telling his sister the truth about her situation with Hamlet because if he thought Hamlet would marry her Laertes would most likely encourage a relationship between them. Hamlet and Laertes are friends and if Hamlet married Laertes' sister he would at some point enjoy the advantages of a brother-in-law of the King.

Because of all the men in her life using her, Ophelia soon becomes confused. Dane tells about Ophelia's descent to growing confused in "Reading Ophelia's Madness. She states, "Male voices fill her head, guiding her very thoughts [...] she grows more and more confused, more sundered from any sense of

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.

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is one of Shakespeare’s most tragic plays. Most of the characters in this play suffered a heartbreaking death, although, all of the characters faced anger, regret, madness or distress. Madness was a reoccurring theme in this play, two characters portrayed this more than others. Ophelia and Hamlet faced similar fates, with similarities and differences along the way, all to do with their madness.

His inconsistent treating of Ophelia eventually drives her to insanity. The actual recognition of his love for Ophelia can only come when Hamlet realizes that she is dead, and free from her tainted womanly trappings “I lov’d Ophelia”. This is without doubt one of the most villainous qualities of Hamlet.

Although Hamlet and Laertes despised one another, they both loved Ophelia. Hamlet was infatuated with Ophelia, which was obvious during his constant anguish over her(in her rejection of him, and in her death, Hamlet suffered greatly). Laertes showed a strong brotherly love for Ophelia which was made evident in his advice to her. Laertes further displayed his love for Ophelia during her funeral when he fought with Hamlet.

Especially after finding out that her once boyfriend had killed her loving father, “I would/ give you some violets, but they withered all when/ my father died” (4.5.207-209). She knows she made a mistake but yet she can’t forgive herself, for the events that happened. “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance./ I pray you, love, remember” (4.5.199-200), We could say that insanity has definitely taken over Ophelia only because of Prince Hamlet and her father's death but because she doesn't know what the true meaning/ feeling of love really is, and she desperately wants it. Ophelia’s insanity drives her mind to places she would never imagine, “...she chanted snatches of old lauds,/ As one incapable of her own distress” (4.7.202-203). There’s a point in her insanity when all she wants is to end everything, she is convinced that Prince Hamlet would never forgive/ be able to love her ever again and her father being dead make his love for her disappear as well, so at this point she feels alone and not wanted. “As we have warranty. Her death was doubtful” (5.1.234). Her death was expected but not in the way she did it. Her resort was the water, the way the whole world just fades above you and the warm feeling you get when your mind leaves and enters

     From the beginning of the play, in Act I Scene iii, Laertes and Polonius are trying to convince her that Hamlet does not love her and only is interested in her so he can sleep with her. Laertes says "Perhaps he loves you now, ...... His greatness weighed, his will is not his own." He is telling Ophelia that she is likely to have her heart broken because of Hamlet's high birth. He may not be able to choose who he marries, so although he

A more noteworthy comparison between Hamlet and Laertes would be each man’s intense relationship with Ophelia, the former’s love interest and the latter’s sister. Both men are passionately preoccupied with Ophelia’s actions, mainly those pertaining to her sexuality, but in different ways. Prior to the events in the play Hamlet actively pursues a romance with Ophelia, but during his staged madness he violently criticizes her for acting at all interested in his advances. As the play progresses Hamlet flips back and forth between sneering at Ophelia and declaring his love for her, but in either case he shows an obvious devotion to the girl. Laertes holds the same amount of devotion, but towards protecting her from Hamlet and anything else that may compromise her virtue. When he is told of her descent into

Then Polonius said not to fall for those gift from Hamlet because it would show she has no self-respect (because it’s seducing her), and that he taught her better. However, Laertes actions show better and greater love for Ophelia. In Act 1, Laertes stays a few minutes with Ophelia talking about Hamlet. Then he gives her an insight of what young men want and they will say to get it (sex). To add on, he tells her to be careful and not to do anything reckless/regrettable

   In Hamlet, we are introduced to the complexities of a man who is struggling to murder his uncle while trying to understand his mother's motives. His inner turmoil has left him emotionally unavailable and completely disenchanted with humanity in general.

This is the woman she might have become – warm, tolerant and imaginative. Instead she becomes jagged, benighted and imaginative. . . .Ophelia is made mad not only by circumstance but by something in herself. A personality forced into such deep hiding that it has seemed almost vacant, has all the time been so painfully open to impressions that they now usurp her reflexes and take possession of her. She has loved, or been prepared to love, the wrong man; her father has brought disaster on himself, and she has no mother: she is terribly lonely. (73-74)