Hamlet: Love Sick in Denmark

Hamlet’s way of handling a break up is to pretend he had not felt any love emotions towards Ophelia from the start. Without knowing that Hamlet’s love for Ophelia is true, Polonius orders his daughter Ophelia to no longer be involved with Prince Hamlet in act 1, scene 3. When Hamlet first encounters Ophelia in act 3, scene 1

, he is genuinely happy to see her when he says, “ The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons / Be all my sins remeber’d” (III,I,90-91). Hamlet greets her with remarks of her beauty, and refers to her as a creature more heavenly than himself who might be easily forgiven of sins. “Be all my sins remember’d” is Hamlet’s way of asking for forgiveness for not talking to her in a while. When she asks him how he is, he says, “I

Some may argue that Hamlet was, in fact, not in love with Ophelia, but pretended to love her so he could use Ophelia for personal benefit. Ophelia’s brother Laertes believed this is the case. He says to Ophelia, “Then weigh what loss your honour may sustain / If with too credent ear your list his songs, / or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open. / To his master’d importunity” (I.III.29-32). In this speech Laertes is warning Ophelia of Prince Hamlet, and how he uses her. Ophelia’s father Polonius tells Ophelia to discontinue her relationship with Hamlet because he also believes that Ophelia is being used and lied to by Hamlet. Polonius states, “Do not believe his vows; for they are brokers, / Not of that dye which their investments show, / But mere inplorators of unholy suits, / Breathing like sandified and pious bonds, / The better to beguile” (I.III.127-131). Both Laertes and Polonius think Hamlet is using Ophelia. The irony in this situation is that Polonius uses Ophelia to benefit himself without worrying about her feelings. “Polonius acts toward Ophelia with despise and disgust. Polonius uses her as a tool to become closer and get on Claudius’ good side. Polonius cares nothing for Ophelia: she is considered as a pawn in a chess game only to protect the king, Polonius” (Strieker, 1999). Hamlet used Ophelia but, unlike Polonius he loved her. “Hamlet would write love letters expressing how he felt and what she reminded him of” (Strieker, 1999). It was these love letters which Polonius had Ophelia read to the King and Queen in act 2, scene 2, to prove Hamlet was crazy for her. Hamlet loved her very much but his love for her,

Some topics in this essay:
Ophelia Hamlet’s, IIII94-130 Elizabethan, King Queen, VI239 Hamlet’s, Prince Hamlet, Sick Denmark, III120-121 Hamlet, Polonius Ophelia, IIIII107 Hamlet, Ophelia’s Laertes, love ophelia, hamlet’s love, hamlet’s love ophelia, love letters, scene 1, act 2 scene, 2 scene, 3 scene, act 2, gone mad, tokens love, 3 scene 1, act 3 scene, act 3, read king queen,