Shakespeare’s character Ophelia has persisted through time as an archetype of the passive woman, yet her passivity has a dynamic effect on all of the other characters in HAMLET. Ophelia is characterized as a typical woman of the Elizabethan era, raised to follow direction of men, even in the face of her own desires. She is overtly feminine, passive, loyal, quiet, and not of her own mind. Ophelia is loved by all for her beauty, and loved by her brother and father, who try to control her actions throughout
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he has created an adolescent character called Ophelia. The character of Ophelia is minor, yet she plays a significant part in our discovery of Hamlet. Without Hamlet there is no Ophelia. Ophelia is a girl who lets herself be determined by those she trusts dearly. Her naivety allows her to be used by her father Polonius and Hamlet without her even fully knowing. She allows herself to be taken advantage of by these characters because of her loyalty and trust towards
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, is author, Mary Pipher’s attempt to understand her experiences in therapy with adolescent girls (Pipher, p. 11). In the text adolescence is described as a border between childhood and adulthood (Pipher, p. 292). In her quest to understand adolescent girls, Pipher attempts to answer these questions: Why are so many girls in therapy in the 1990s? Why are there more self-mutilators? What is the meaning of lip, nose and eyebrow piercings? How
------------------------------------------------- Portrayal Mary Catherine Bolton (afterwards Lady Thurlow) (1790-1830) as Ophelia in 1813, opposite John Philip Kemble's Hamlet While it is known that Richard Burbage played Hamlet in Shakespeare's time, there is no evidence of who played Ophelia; since there were no professional actresses on the public stage in Elizabethan England, we may be certain that she was played by a boy.[11] The early modern stage in England had an established set of emblematic conventions for
decisions concerning how they will act, with who they will associate with, and what life decisions they will choose. Ultimately, the progression by which they determine their identity must inevitability be one of trial and error. In the book Reviving Ophelia, clinical psychologist Dr. Mary Pipher discusses the social and cultural pressures faced by today 's adolescent girls based on her individual clients’ stories. This paper will examine how gender role socialization effects girls more specifically
While reading Mary Pipher’s, “Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls” and Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson’s, “Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys,” I got a better understanding of the mindsets of teenagers in todays society. I learned that countless girls and boys have the same inner battles and do not even realize it. The two songs I chose that best represent ideas of woman and manhood are “Unpretty,” by TLC and “Stan,” by Eminem. I believe these songs support many
Shakespeare's Ophelia as Modern Icon Shakespeare's Ophelia is not lacking in attention. As one of Shakespeare's most popular female characters she has enjoyed many appellations from the bard. '"Fair Ophelia." "Most beautified Ophelia." "Pretty Ophelia." "Sweet Ophelia." "Dear Ophelia." "Beautiful Ophelia…sweet maid…poor wretch." "Poor Ophelia."' (Vest 1) All of these names for Ophelia can be found in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Since Shakespeare's incarnation of Ophelia many
Gender is one of the universal dimensions on which status differences are based. Unlike sex which is a biological concept, gender is a social construct specifying the socially and culturally prescribed roles that men and women are to follow. Society places ideas concerning proper behaviors regarding gender roles. Over the years, one can notice that society’s rules and expectations for men and women are very different. Men have standards and specific career goals that we must live up to according
Parents Affect Their Daughters Too Dr. Mary Pipher’s novel, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls uncovers the reason why girls coming of age change throughout puberty and how outside forces affect them. In the first quarter of the book, the reader learns all about the struggles that young women are facing and how these girls are influenced to completely change themselves to fit into society. It is mentioned that girls change dramatically, that girls who once were talkative and
what exactly do we mean? In my opinion the way the female characters, Ophelia and Gertrude, in `Hamlet' exist, is the way in which they live, the way they are viewed by others in the play, and the way would be perceived by us, or the Elizabethan audience. We have to see exactly who the male characters are, and the different parts they play. In addition, this essay will attempt to discover exactly how Shakespeare used Ophelia and Gertrude for the plot, and consider if they exist in their own right