Hamlet’s lust for Ophelia is shown how he fights over her. For example, when Hamlet jumps in Ophelia's grave with Laertes and…
Ophelia was another character in the story that lost her mind because of her father’s death. She was mad acting like foolish and this madness has caused her several psychological damages. Ophelia much like Hamlet has experienced the exact same thing when her father has murdered. The dilemma drove her into madness because she had no control over her emotional pain. She might become depressed because of the conflict between her father and Hamlet. She could not handle traumatic experience when she lost her father; she became insane to ultimately drown herself in the river.…
I was shocked by the madness of Ophelia, and the manner in which Gertrude approaches the situation, both were unexpected. Earlier in the novel, the relationship of Ophelia and her father is revealed, and it pears to be a very weak relationship, based on the oppression of her under her father’s rule. From this relationship that the two share I would never assume that Ophelia would be driven mad by the death of her father. I sympathize with Ophelia since she has endured so many pains, first discovering Hamlet’s madness, then discovering the death of her father. She is entirely alone in her sorrow, and the King and Queen do nothing buy agitate her and pick at her wounds. Also in this scene Gertrude refuses to see Ophelia, and only agrees when…
1. When Piper states “Something dramatic happens to girls in early adolescence”, what does she mean? Give examples.…
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) probably didn't know the impact of his words writing "Hamlet" would affect the history of literature, playwriting and poetry. Written at the peak of his career, it's considered his masterpiece and the most controversial of his works, not only because of its philosophical insights into human nature but for showing the reality of the political system during Elizabethan times and the abuse of power. If Shakespeare portrays these issues through strong male characters and their concerns about life, he on the other hand portrayed women still in the way they were supposed to behave and act. Elizabethan women were submissive, subservient to men and they had no voice other than 'I do' the day they married. Such a paradox, as the chief of state at the time was Elizabeth I, considered almost as a supreme being and who intentionally never got married because that would've made her the consort of the King and therefore she would've lost her authority for issues far more domestic. This submission and the fact that they were also dependant on their men relatives made them the perfect tool to forge alliances with powerful families normally through arranged marriages.…
Ophelia was sinking in oblivion; it was impossible for self- awareness to take place. Her deteriorating mental state stopped her catharsis. In the end was there really anyway for Ophelia to know that her suicide would serve as a fatal catalyst? No, by then Ophelia’s judgment and forethought were irretrievable. She was no longer in control of her actions the same way she was no longer sound of mind. Her death created unforeseen ripple effects that ultimately kill Hamlet and Laerates. Without her ability to reason and judge the soundness of her actions, Ophelia cannot be held responsible for the events that took place after her perceived…
Unlike the former subordinancy demonstrated by the female sex, Ophelia’s insanity and untimely death in the final acts of the play may reveal something far more methodical. Upon Ophelia’s entrance in Act 4, she sings nonsense songs that are rarely interpreted as anything other than her madness. However, the young woman begins to hand out flowers to those around her. Fitting to the Elizabethan setting of the play, each flower represents something different, something important. Fennel is flattery and deceit, relating to Claudius and Polonius’ use of her; pansies are for thoughts, possibly due to Ophelia’s former lack of independent thought; columbines for the foolishness of the rulers of Denmark; daisies for her innocence. Rosemary may represent…
Various characters in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet exhibit aspects of an “outsider”. The obvious choices being Claudius and Hamlet. Claudius appears to be freed from moral restrictions, while Hamlet represents the stereotypical isolated intellectual. However, both of them pale in comparison to the true outsider in the play: Ophelia. Both Claudius and Hamlet are too respected and entangled in the lives of others to be considered the ultimate estranged outsider. Ophelia on the other hand, is constantly pushed to the periphery, despite her significant relationships with many of the main characters. She is also unable to comply with the restrictive and conflicting expectations placed upon her.…
Gertrude's use of vivid imagery in her telling of Ophelia's demise provides a picture of the events that took place. Through this imagery she assigns agency to seemingly innocent objects in nature, such as the weeping willow and the envious sliver, and takes the blame away from Ophelia, thus leading Laertes to truly believe this was a suicide. While she does not receive a true Christian burial, Gertrude is successful in keeping Laertes calm; no one but nature is to blame for the death of Ophelia in his eyes. Gertrude's need to tell the death in the manner of which she did is perfectly logical. Had Laertes believed otherwise his reaction could have lead to more trouble for the King and Queen. By placing the blame away from Claudius, Hamlet,…
In the story “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare the character of Ophelia is quite a challenge to understand. Ophelia is Hamlets love interest, whom many thought was mad or psychologically disturbed from the beginning of the story. That may have been true, but it was not necessarily the whole truth. Ophelia could have been mad or just been madly in love. She also could have been putting on a cloak of madness to hide the fact that she was in on Hamlets plan to expose the King for killing his father. Ophelia was not as crazy or weak as others perceived her; she was actually quite clever and in on the whole plan with Hamlet and didn’t really go crazy until after he got banished.…
Throughout his report, Friedman uses a slightly upbeat tone to start his prompt. In doing this he is leading his audience to be in favor of his argument, by seeming more relatable and personable. By stating “I got an ovation the other day from a roomful of Indian 20 year olds just for reading perfectly the following paragraph…” sets the stage for his comical tone, by showing the irony of how a simple reading of a paragraph could get a complete standing ovation. As well as the quote “What am I saying here? That it’s more important for young Indians to have jobs than Americans? Never.” portraying the author’s sarcasm which could be viewed as humorous. By conveying his tone in a witty way, the author is able to build a sort of friendship with the audience, making his argument seem more attractive in the audience’s eyes.…
Whether Hamlet loves Ophelia or not is very interesting in the sense that we see he is…
Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a revenge tragedy play that primarily focuses on Hamlet’s quest to avenge his father’s death. The tragedy of Hamlet, while mostly revolving around Hamlet himself, also concerns the character of Ophelia, and Hamlet’s relationship with her throughout the play. Despite of her absence from all but five scenes, Ophelia manages to receive a considerable amount of attention, as her character becomes truly tragic with her realization that she is powerless politically, socially, and psychologically amongst the men in her life, and without them. As a woman with limited options in a patriarchal society, this realization drives her mad, ultimately resulting in her death.…
Ophelia came to America the only way that she could: illegally. The risks and the sinfulness of it stayed fresh in her mind, but the hardships she faced while living in Mexico were much more prominent. America was good to Ophelia; it gave her a job, it gave her a sense of security, and, above all else, it gave her Ramon. Ramon was a legal citizen of the United States, and according to the U.S. immigration policy, Ophelia was now a legal citizen as well as a result of their marriage (“How the United States Immigration System Works”). Ramon and Ophelia lived happily in the state of Oklahoma, where Ramon found a great job with a small oil company. Her children and step children lived here, as well as her grandchildren. Prayers started each night…
It seems as if only the gods could be blamed for the tragic ending of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. How could one not blame them, for they placed a prophecy on the king, his wife and their son, sending them to their dreadful doom. Perhaps there is more to be seen in this famous Greek tragedy. Perhaps the blame does not belong completely to the gods, but to the victims of the prophecy. Sophocles exemplifies this throughout the play using methods of symbolism, actions and words.…
