Ophelia, daughter of Claude, was born to be leader of the Edean tribe-the descendents of dragons.

For a young woman, this is a difficult revelation to assimilate, and Ophelia does not succeed in overcoming these heartaches. This blow to her self esteem proves fatal.

First of all she was a virgin and both her father and brother were trying to protect that from Hamlet and have told her horrible things about him. Since she has always been obedient to what her father had asked from her, she was also obedient to what others asked or said. I believe that Ophelia was very naive and was only aware of what these men, in her life have taught and exposed to her. Her obedience caused her that heartbreak, that drove her mad and numbed her out with death. Ophelia's songs all concern unrequited love, “He never will come again”, says one of her songs (1380). Ophelia was heartbroken and alone. Just like the Greek definition of her name, help, she needed some help from

Ophelia is one of the most recognisable and popular of Shakespeare’s heroines. She has been a focal point in literature and art throughout history. In early artwork Ophelia was displayed in a group context with the focus not being on her, usually being positioned in the background. Towards the end of the 18th century her character became popular at a fast pace, with Ophelia being the most depicted literary subjects in art.

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

Consistent with the ideology of women during the Elizabethan era, Ophelia is weak minded, obedient and controlled by the men in her life. Under her father’s command, Ophelia agrees to spy to Hamlet, “Ophelia walk you here. Gracious, so please you, we will bestow ourselves. Read on this book, that shows off such an exercise may colour your loneliness.” (Act 3, Scene 1).

Joan Montgomery Byles’s view of Ophelia’s behavior in “Ophelia’s Desperation” and Sandra K. Fischer’s view of Ophelia’s behavior in “Ophelia’s Mad Speeches” contradict each other and present opposing explanations. Byles’s view is that Ophelia is defined by the male roles in her life (i.e. her father, brother, and lover). Fischer’s view is that Ophelia is simply grieving the loss of her father and fails to break the hold of the men in her life. These two analyses present opposing explanations because one author is saying that Ophelia simply cracked because she has lost her father and she just could not handle it and the other is stating that Ophelia went mad and committed suicide because she was tired of

Portrayed as a woman who is so consumed with her love for Hamlet that she is willing to sacrifice her life for him, Ophelia is mangled between listening to her heart versus the conflicting opinion of Hamlet from her father and brother. In Shakespeare’s extensive play of Hamlet, Ophelia’s character is predicted in a different, more negative manner than that of the male roles in the story, where she soon has no chance of redemption and is subject to the decisions that the dominant men in her life designate. Her understanding of love is overly complicated due to her lack of knowledge and experience in the subject. Through Ophelia’s obsessive desire to comply, Shakespeare displays Ophelia’s insanity that resulted from her quandary and lead

Ophelia is considered one of the most difficult roles to play in Hamlet due to the character’s strong possession of obscurity. She was torn between the dilemma of whether to listen to her father and brother that Hamlet would leave her or whether to trust her heart and instinct and devote herself to Hamlet. Ophelia’s family believed her to be the eternal virgin and the vessel of morality who had the purpose to become a dutiful wife and devoted mother – they strongly believed Hamlet would only take her virginity and destroy all her opportunity and life potential. To Hamlet, Ophelia was a sexual object had no worth or potential of becoming his wife. In her heart she was convinced he loved her, although Hamlet was adamant he never did.

She is unmarried and has a controlling, overprotective father. Her father treats his grown up, adult daughter as if she is a fourteen year old girls who is not aloud to like boys. She knows that he loves her very deeply, but would rather show her tough love than soft, emotional, affection love. Which is understandable because, men in that time were suppose to care for their family and be the strongest one out of the entire family. Ophelia is kind of like a kid, she dances around and sings like she has the mind of six years old girl. Only, she is a full grown adult women, with emotional, thoughts, feeling, and body differences than a six year old

The character of Ophelia in Shakespeare's “Hamlet” is a dynamic character often overlooked by most readers. At first glance, she is displayed as weak and easily manipulated, shown by her suicide in the play. However, when her character is looked into with more depth, she comes off as a character who is strong and independent and made the choice to kill herself with a purpose. “Hamlet” is a revenge tragedy, but Hamlet isn’t the only character who seeks revenge.

The men in Ophelia's life betray her, which leads to her death. “Polonius: I have a daughter (have while she is mine)/ Who in her duty and obedience mark,/ Hath given me this. ”(II. ii. 106).

His will is not his own, for he himself is subject to his birth” (1.3.17-18) Laetres argues. Thus, Ophelia faces internal and external confusion constantly in terms of her safety and the ability to abide to her father’s

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)

Both Ophelia and Almondine played an important role in the building of the plot and character of Hamlet and Edgar Sawtelle. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ophelia has one of the most tragic ends for the characters of the story. Ophelia was a character torn in-between where her loyalty lied with her father or Hamlet. Her father and brother believe that Hamlet would only take her virginity and then discard her away, to them she was eternal virgin, and the very essence of morality, her purpose was to be a dutiful wife and steadfast mother. On the other hand Ophelia believed that Hamlet loved even though he said her did not, even though to Hamlet, she is a sexual object, a corrupt and deceitful lover.

demonstrate her obedience to her father. In the beginning of the play, Ophelia tells her