Dr. Cruz
Humanities 2333
Word Count:
4/11/13
Hamlet’s Relationship with Ophelia The Tragedy of Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, is considered one of the greatest plays of all time. The play has many different themes one of them being big on love. The two biggest characters Hamlet and Ophelia were used to illustrate this theme. Their relationship is distorted when they both experience hardships and difficult circumstances. It’s sure to say that Hamlet never stops loving Ophelia, even when he tries to deny it. As the play progresses Hamlet’s love for Ophelia is ever changing, it starts off as a secret loving and being inseparable from Ophelia. Hamlet becomes rather hateful and distrustful of Ophelia as the play begins to advance. The play eventually ends with Hamlet’s showing his true feelings revealed and emoted. As it all start Hamlet genuinely cares for Ophelia, he truly loves her more than any girl he could ever wish for. Hamlet proves his love for Ophelia when a letter is read out to Claudius and Gertrude by Polonius. That letter was one of Hamlet’s secret love letters describing her as a divine beautiful woman, and the only girl that is right for him. Polonius uses this letter to get something’s done the way he wanted done he uses the letter as evidence to persuade Claudius and Gertrude that Hamlet is mad for Ophelia’s love. The character assumed that Hamlet was crazy for love. It was somewhat a great deal of love between them before the passing of King Hamlet. In addition, Laertes also begins to recognize Hamlet’s fondness of Ophelia, when he states “Perhaps he loves you now; and now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch the virtue of his will” (1.3.14-16). Hamlet’s love for Ophelia is revealed and his best intentions for her. On the other hand, Laertes’s tells his sister that he may love her now, and may have the best intentions for her now, but later the relationship will begin to collapse. One can see that Hamlet is affectionate of Ophelia, but sees the decline in their relationship when Laertes’s begin to lecture his sister, “Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting, the perfume and suppliance of a minute. No more” (1.3.8-10).
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