Flowers are nature's beauty that blossom and wither and are swayed by the weather and seasons that control their growth. William Shakespeare’s, Hamlet, focuses one of the effects of life's disappointments, heartbreak, and betrayal which is “madness,” by giving readers insight to Ophelia’s life journey and troubles that led to her death. Ophelia, a young woman in love, but caught between her father and brothers disapproval of her love for Hamlet lived during an era where fixed gender expectations had to be met, so she had a restrained freedom, however; she still had an internal love for Hamlet that was absolute. Once he broke her heart her heart began to wither slowly, then her father died which led to madness, the state of being mentally and …show more content…
Although Ophelia lived during an era where women had a little more freedom, she was still low in status to men and had to submit. John Everett Millais, illustration Ophelia, illustrates Ophelia submerged in water and letting go. Ophelia is floating in a river, floating away from her misery and sadness. She is faintly holding a bouquet of flowers and these flowers represent the love she had for Hamlet, Laertes, and Polonius. The three men who held the most important roles in her life are the same men that never appreciated her and her decisions wholeheartedly. Hamlet betrayed the absolute love they had for each other and it became relative. Polonius opposed the relationship and told her that Hamlet didn't love her, but wanted to use her for his own selflessness as did Laertes. Readers can see in the picture that she is letting go of the agonizing control of men in her life and becoming free. Once Polonius died Ophelia went mad because Hamlet had let their love go and now the male influences in her life were withering away. Ophelia states, “ I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died,” (). Violets symbolize faithfulness and fidelity, so she when she says this to the queen, she is saying that her loyalty was only to her father. Even though her father didn't agree with her, Ophelia still loved her father. She is also telling the king and queen that they betrayed her and her
son’s sake. Ophelia’s character in Hamlet fits in the way women should be in her time. She is portrayed as an obedient character to her father and brother but also as a character who is deprived of any thought, sexuality, and language. Shakespeare treats Ophelia as a person who is wholly at the mercy of the male figures throughout her life, and she is undoubtedly a victim figure. We notice how well she fits
Ophelia from the play “Shakespeare” plays an important female role. She is a beautiful young woman with innocence. She deals with struggles that most young women don’t have to deal with. Ophelia changes immensely throughout the play. Ophelia is torn between Hamlet and her family, causing conflict with both relationships and affecting her thought process to drive her mentally insane. The character Ophelia is a young attractive woman. Hamlet finds her extremely beautiful with an innocence that keeps
“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play them” (Pausch, Randy). In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Shakespeare connects the character’s tragic deaths with their personal lives. From the first act, we are propelled into Hamlet’s world, where a great deal of misfortunate events have occurred. Ophelia has always been under pressure by her father, Polonius, and her lover Hamlet which was the result of her death. Polonius lived his life as Claudius’ spy and to do his dirty work for him
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, there were many important characters just like Hamlet who show up in more than three-fourths of the play; but there are also characters that don’t necessarily show up as much but still have a strong role. One of the characters that didn’t get as much screen time but was still important was Ophelia. Ophelia was a sister, girlfriend, and daughter that so many people loved. Therefore, Despite the lack of presence of Ophelia, she ultimately played a big role
Ophelia, whom is in act of many characters throughout the book in Shakespeare's Hamlet, has a steady showing of numerous personalities that she displays. With using the lens of Psychoanalytic Criticism. I will explain the happenings of Ophelia and the tragedies she went through as a character. Fully stating, to why she does act how she applies due to what she is brought upon. The wandering thoughts, the tears, the heartbreak, the sorrow. Even the men that are in her life at the time to where she
Hamlet Essay In the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, Ophelia, the daughter of Polonius and the love interest of Hamlet, is depicted as a young and beautiful woman who is innocent, virtuous, and loyal. Ophelia is the innocent victim in Hamlet and the specific attributes that she has lead to her tragic death. She is easily manipulated by her father and brother and she is torn between her love for Hamlet and her loyalty to her father and brother. Three situations in the play that show
In the play of Hamlet by William Shakespeare we can see that many characters play a significant role, but when referring to Ophelia we can see that she has a special role in the play itself. Ophelia is revealed in the play to be Hamlets girlfriend that he is in love with at the beginning of the play. But throughout the play we can see that Hamlet begins to turn away from her in the since that he can no longer trust her because Hamlet believes she is to loyal to her father and would go back and tell
were treated as captives in their homes. Woolf talks about how men and women were completely different prior to her time. Virginia Woolf’s essay allows the reader to take into consideration the story of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and one particular character within the play, Ophelia. Ophelia is not known for her role as a woman in the story, but rather known as a helpless soul after she is no longer living in a male dominated time. In Woolf’s essay, there is a plethora of ways that female characters and
gender norms. In his creation of Hamlet, Shakespeare uses the voice of Ophelia as a means to battle the gender norms that had been placed on Elizabethan society. A good women was seen as someone that was quiet and submissive. If a man could not control a woman’s tongue, there would be no chance that the man would be able to control her body. Though Ophelia’s character was more than capable of exhibiting reason, the control that her father, Polonius, held over her let Ophelia to the the madness that would
Throughout Hamlet, Ophelia is depicted as an innocent voiceless girl who becomes a tragedy when heartbreak and oppression lead her to madness, and ultimately her demise. Though to the majority of students glancing over Shakespeare's words, Ophelia is a character to be brushed off; a simple girl who lost her mind over a boy (because women are so dependent on male opinion), but with scrutiny Ophelia becomes a silent character who is browbeaten and controlled, but endures to be with her true love Hamlet..that
upon the thoughts of men. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Ophelia is affected by the corruption of the men which ultimately pushed her to insanity and suicide. Ophelia had many things that triggered her to the thought of suicide. “Even in his tirade against Ophelia, she is scarcely more than a prop...”(Intentional meaning in Hamlet: an evolutionary perspective). She was used as a toy by most of the characters in the play even her father. Ophelia was always seen as a throwaway object instead
character Ophelia, in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, has a protective father, however, her character plays an important yet provoking role in the elaboration of the plot. In the beginning, she starts off in a healthy state of mind, in love with her boyfriend Hamlet, yet controlled by her father in regard to their relationship. During the play she encounters several troubling experiences involving Hamlet, causing her to become distressed. Near the end, the death of her father leaves Ophelia mentally
look upon how life is all about. In “Hamlet”, a play by Shakespeare, Hamlet shows his love for Ophelia in ways. The love between them is as strong and as difficult. It talks about the love between Hamlet and Ophelia about how it was like to be in the madness that overflows them and make them look different. Especially when it was hard for Hamlet to think about how it was if he truly loves her or not. However, in my opinion, Hamlet shows that he truly loves Ophelia through his actions which shows that
Reynaldo are a few from his play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. However, Ophelia appears to be the most innocent all throughout the play. This character has either indirectly or directly affected the lives of every main characters in the script. Ophelia’s character is portrayed as obedient, maidenly, and a mad young girl. Many parents can only wish to have a child like Ophelia. A child that obeys their every command without back talking. Ophelia is the obedient daughter of Polonius. In Act
begin with, Ophelia is a character from the Shakespeare classic Hamlet. She is perceived as a young woman who is kind hearted and obedient towards the male characters within the story. These characteristics cause her to be seen as the victim of the male characters who revolve around the story of Hamlet. In the beginning, of the story Hamlet makes Ophelia believe that she is the main reason for his insanity. Instead of Hamlet showing love or an emotional connection towards Ophelia, Hamlet treats Ophelia