Hamlet - Ophelias Identity Essay - 1320 Words

Hamlet - Ophelias Identity There are volumes of critical analyses devoted to William Shakespeares Hamlet. As the title indicates, Hamlet is the main character of the play, but there are other characters who are also important to the plot. So much attention has been given to Hamlets antics that characters such as Ophelia remain relatively unexamined. Ophelia is a key figure in the play, and to understand her reactions to the patriarchal society in which she lives through her relationships with the men in her life adds more depth to the play. Ophelias character is revealed through her relationships with her father, Polonius, her brother, Laertes, and her lover, Hamlet, and their characters in turn are revealed through their†¦show more content†¦In the exchange between Laertes and Ophelia, one learns a great deal about Hamlet, as well. Laertes explains to his sister that she must consider Hamlets rank and position and know that he is not free to choose a bride for himself (1.3.19-26). He also cautions he r not put any faith in Hamlet, and the trifling of his favor / [and to] Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood, / A violet in the youth of primy nature (1.3.5-7). He means that Hamlet follows a passing whim where she is concerned, and that he does not truly love her. In other words, Laertes impresses upon Ophelia that Hamlet merely feels toward her the passion that is present in the springtime of youth. It is clear that Laertes believes he is telling his sister the truth about her situation with Hamlet because if he thought Hamlet would marry her Laertes would most likely encourage a relationship between them. Hamlet and Laertes are friends and if Hamlet married Laertes sister he would at some point enjoy the advantages of a brother-in-law of the King. While Laertes and Ophelia are talking, their father, Polonius, enters the room, and after some words of advice to his son, not the least of which is to be true to himself, Polonius bids him farewell. Polonius then turns to Ophelia and asks what it is that Laertes has said to her (1.3.57-89). Ophelia tells her father that Laertes has spoken to her of Hamlet, and Polonius responds that he has been informed of the time she spendsShow MoreRelatedThe Madness Of Hamlet And Ophelia1296 Words   |  6 PagesRyan Deng Emery AP English Literature Period 6 11 December 2015 The Madness of Hamlet and Ophelia Psychotic behavior is prevalent in Shakespeare’s Hamlet as two of his characters, Hamlet and Ophelia, exhibit madness during the play. The play commences after Claudius killed King Hamlet, leaving him in purgatory. Hamlet, after discovering this fact, feigns madness, which he calls an â€Å"antic disposition† (1.5.192) in his plot for revenge to ultimately free his father. Ophelia, on the other handRead MoreThe Symbolism Of Ophelia s Hamlet 1500 Words   |  6 Pagestext be read and interpreted differently by two different readers? 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