Ophelia

Hamlet Essay: Ophelia There are many people that contribute to my life and are shaping me into the person I am today. When somebody new enters my life they contribute a different aspect. In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Ophelia contributes aspects that no other character does. Ophelia is portrayed as a loyal daughter caught between her love for her father and her love for Hamlet.
Ophelia is clearly devoted and loyal to her father and her brother. Ophelia never goes against what her father asks of her and obeys him without argument. When Polonius, her father, asks her to stop seeing Hamlet she replies with “I shall obey my Lord” (I.iii.137), even though she believes the two of them are in love. Although before Polonius asks this of her, Laertes warns Ophelia saying “His greatness weighed, his will is not his own, For he himself is subject to his birth” (I.iii.17-18) and she says she will keep is words close to her heart. Polonius also asks her to help him and King Claudius to spy on Hamlet and Ophelia does so without questions. Polonius tells her “Read on this book, That show of such an exercise may color your loneliness. We are oft to blame in this— ‘Tis too much proved—that with devotion’s visage and pious action we do sugar o’er the devil himself” (III.i.42-49). Ophelia’s obedience is her downfall because she doesn’t express her own feelings and is extremely passive. Ophelia becomes an obvious victim of Hamlet’s hatred towards women. Hamlet reveals his feelings for Ophelia and how he feels betrayed by her, but it also appears that he knows Polonius is using her as a spy. This is apparent when she tries to return his gifts and he replies with, “I never gave you aught” (III.i.97). He then continues to take his hatred of women, caused by his mother, out on her as he says’ “Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sins?” (III.i.122-123). Ophelia cannot call Hamlet out on this because she cannot ruin her innocent image. He continues taking his anger with his mother out on Ophelia saying “Or, if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them” (III.i.139-140). Ophelia is shocked and crushed by this and responds with “And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That sucked the honey of his music vows, Now see that noble and most sovereign reason Like sweet bells jangled out of tune and harsh” (III.i.156-160). In the previous act he comes into Ophelia’s closet “No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled, ungartered, and down-gyved to his ankle” (II.i.81-82) because he seems to be distraught from not seeing her, ultimately confusing her more than before. Hamlet’s indecisive behavior drives Ophelia insane. Ophelia’s suicide is ultimately the result of the loss of her father and lover. When Ophelia goes on her crazy ramblings it is questioned whether they are about her father or Hamlet. It seems as if her song is about her father, Polonius, her singing “He is dead and gone, lady” (IV.vi.29) to being about Hamlet when she sings “And dupped the chamber door, Let in the maid, that out a maid Never departed more” (IV.vi.53-55). Ophelia eventually is found “her clothes spread wide” (IV.vii.176) drowned in stream near the willow tree. Her death is significant in connecting her brother, Laertes, and her lover, Hamlet. The two are both are very emotional and have irrational behavior because of her death. It reminds Hamlet of his deep feelings for Ophelia and also gives Laertes a deepened need for vengeance. Hamlet has not only killed Laertes’ father, but drove his sister mad to the point she felt the need to take her own life. Ophelia’s death makes Laertes go over the edge and he makes a plan with Claudius to kill Hamlet, but make it look like an accident. Although the plan seems like a genius idea it backfires on Claudius and Laertes. As the plan backfires everybody dies making Shakespeare’s Hamlet such a tragedy, which is ultimately caused from Ophelia’s death. As the play develops Ophelia become a more significant character. Although she develops into a more significant character it happens without her appearing throughout the play as often as one would think. Chains of events that happen because of Ophelia some wouldn’t recognize that the event was connected to her. Ophelia is a key reason to many of the significant events and turning points in the play just like when some people enter or leave your life being a turning point of the path you are on.