Ophelia's Madness in William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Ophelia has a unique, very powerful and interesting form of madness; she carries out an important role in the elaboration of the plot because she presents a theme of love and innocence. 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, which cause her to become distressed. Near the end, the death of her father leaves Ophelia mentally unstable and in a state of madness that eventually leads her to death. So, due to all of the unfortunate events that took place with the people she loved the most in her life, Ophelia gradually becomes mad, and in the end passes away. Ophelia's and Hamlet's love for each other in the beginning was very real. Following the death of his father, Hamlet falls in love with her, and is much attracted by her beauty. It is not uncertain, however, that Ophelia is very much controlled by her father; she is a very obedient young girl who is ready to suppress deeply her feelings in order to obey her father's wishes. She is the daughter of Polonius, the chief advisor to the new King Claudius, and a highly respected man. Her fath
er demands that she tell Hamlet that she can no longer be with him and tells her, "I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth have you so slander any moment leisure as to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet. Look to't, I charge you. Come your ways." (Act I, Sc. 3, 132-35). It is clear that here Polonius is making decisions for his daughter, regardless if she really loves Hamlet or not. She feels very unimportant and helpless now, and because of this develops a lack of emotional confidence and strength. All she can reply is, "I shall obey, my lord" (Act I, Sc. 3, 136). She is used to relying on her father's direction and has been brought up to be very obedient. As well, her brother Laertes agrees with what their father is saying. He advises her to ignore her feelings towards Hamlet: "Think it no more;/ For nature, crescent, does not grow alone in thews and bulk but as this temple waxes/ The inward service of the mind and should/ Grows wide withal....Fear it Ophelia, fear it my dear sister,/And keep you in the rear of your affection out of the shot and danger of desire."(Act I, Sc. 3, 10-35). He thinks that Hamlet only loves her because he wants to seduce her, and demands his sister to never see him again. Ophelia can only accept her father's and brother's beliefs and writes Hamlet a letter, which informs him that she can no longer see him. As a result, she begins to feel alone with very little independence. At this point in the play Ophelia's emotions are what help contribute to her madness. Perhaps the biggest cause of Ophelia's madness was the death of her father. The news of Polonius' death was just enough to throw her over the edge of insanity. What's worse, she finds out that her dear father was murdered by the one she loves, Hamlet. Ophelia now goes completely mad and has lost all control over her mind. She begins singing songs to herself that don't really make sense to anyone, "He is dead and gone, lady, he is dead and gone, at his head a grass-green turf, at his heels a stone." (A
Some common words found in the essay are:
IV Sc, Act Sc, , Queen Hamlet's, III Sc, Hamlet Ophelia, Ophelia's Hamlet's, III Sc1, King Claudius, Day Hamlet, ophelia's madness, sc 1, death father, act iii, sc 3, act iii sc, iii sc, iii sc 1, iv sc 5, hamlet ophelia, sc 5, iv sc, act iv, act sc 3, act iv sc,
Approximate Word count = 1357
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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