Ophelia: The Forgotten Character
In Shakespeare’s, Hamlet, Ophelia is a character that illustrates fragility, innocence, and dependency. As the daughter of Polonius, a servant to the King, Ophelia is forced to obey her father’s orders and choose between the love of her life and her obedience to her father. The choice Ophelia makes is very detrimental to the other characters in Hamlet. According to Margaret Webster, “Ophelia . . . is serving a definite dramatic purpose. If she had been a woman of character and understanding, . . . there would be no tragedy of Hamlet” (102). This is certainly a good description of her outlook on life. Ophelia’s reactions to Hamlet’s attitude and change of mood towards her come from ...
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obedience to Polonius. Therefore, in the Nunnery Scene, Hamlet confesses to Ophelia that, “I loved you not” (3.1.117). He has too much pride and rage to confess his love for her.
In essence, “Pretty Ophelia,” as Claudius calls her, is the most innocent victim of Hamlet’s revenge. Hamlet fell in love with Ophelia after the depressing event of his father’s death. According to Arthur Eastman, Hamlet thought of his mother as a perfection or as an excellence and set his heart on Ophelia. Ophelia is an obsession for Hamlet. She had “sucked the honey of his music vows” and returned his affection (3.1.148). Ophelia is truly in love with Hamlet. However, when Polonius challenged the honor of Hamlet’s intentions, Ophelia replied, “My Lord, I do not know, / But truly I do fear it” (2.1.88-89). Polonius believes that Hamlet’s intentions of his “holy vows” of love were created for Ophelia so she would not obey her fathers orders (1.3.115). Polonius then instructed Ophelia not to see ...
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to restore his faith in Ophelia by forcing himself in her room to search for some truth. Hamlet replies, “ That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no / discourse to your beauty” (3.1.109-110). He believes her guilt is shown by her silence just as his mothers is. There is a big similarity between his mother, Gertrude and Ophelia. Both are very beautiful simple women, easily influenced by powerful orders of others. Perhaps, that is why Hamlet was first attracted to Ophelia. They are the same type of women but at different stages of life. Both women have hurt Hamlet is some way or another. However, Ophelia is still too much under her father’s influence to realize ...
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Ophelia: The Forgotten Character. (2005, December 27). Retrieved April 26, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Ophelia-The-Forgotten-Character/38661
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"Ophelia: The Forgotten Character." Essayworld.com. December 27, 2005. Accessed April 26, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Ophelia-The-Forgotten-Character/38661.
"Ophelia: The Forgotten Character." Essayworld.com. December 27, 2005. Accessed April 26, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Ophelia-The-Forgotten-Character/38661.
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