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Alexandre Cabanel's Ophelia

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Alexandre Cabanel's Ophelia
Death is a conclusion and a commencement; it is a moment of realization and sovereignty. Hamlet by William
Shakespeare illuminates the beauty in Ophelia’s death and the freedom that she experiences. Alexandre Cabanel illustrates Ophelia reaching for the light with her facial expression showing that she does not care anymore. She is reaching for heaven and is done lingering in darkness which is why the lighting in the portrait focuses on her while everything in the background is dark. Artist John
Everett Millais depicts Ophelia holding a bouquet and faintly letting them go which represents her liberty from Hamlet and Polonius firm hold on her life and the bondage in her heart being broken. Although there is no context, the picture means a
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