We are introduced to the character of Ophelia in Act1, scene 3. She is a beautiful young girl who is daughter to Polonius, sister to Laertes and Hamlet's lover. .
She is a feeble minded girl who is easily moulded by the more powerful opinions and desires of others. She is influenced the most by the thoughts of her father and brother. This can be seen through out the play, especially in Act 1 scene3 . In this scene we find laertes warning Ophelia of Hamlet's love. He instructs her to regard his love as something which is unlikely to last and potentially dangerous. Ophelia promises to bear his advice in mind but remarks "do not, as some ungracious pastors do, show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, whiles like a puffed and reckless libertine himself the primrose path of dalliance threads and recks not his own rede". This comment displays some wit as she turns her brother's lecture on its head. Her father also offers advice on the same subject and when he challenges the honour of Hamlet's intentions, she meekly responds: "I do not know my lord, what I should think". She attempts to defend Hamlet's love by saying"My lord, he hath importuned me with love in honourable fashion" but it fails to have any affect. At the end of the scene she promises to obey her father's orders not to permit Hamlet to see her again and to reject his love poems and gifts. This presents her as an obedient and docile daughter and sister.
Ophelia is a symbol of all goodness in the play and is the most innocent victim of all. Her characters role is to highlight how corruption affects those around it. Being surrounded by evil, calculating characters such as Claudius and her father Polonius tarnished her purity. The poison of corruption reached Ophelia and resulted in the destruction of her character. Ophelia is associated with all things good and beautiful in the world - the most common thing being flowers. The language associated with Ophelia is also full of goodness.
Ophelia plays a very interesting and important character in the plot. ... So he decided to test Ophelia's loyalty. ... At this point Hamlet knows Ophelia is lying. ... Ophelia is a good-hearted character, but her child-like mind allows her to be taken advantage of. ... First he would use Ophelia to cure Hamlet's madness. ...
Ophelia portrays many different character traits that will be explained throughout this essay. ... Another character trait shown throughout Hamlet is Ophelia's obedience. ... Many people dislike Ophelia saying that the story could be virtually the same without her character. However, not only are her character traits developed by the people around her but she helps give other characters their defining traits. ... All in all, Ophelia is a complicated character that has trouble defining who she is as a person but yet manages to have her character traits shine through regardless of the circ...
Like most of the typical Shakespearian plays, Ophelia is a female character, who is torn between family tie and personal love. ... When Laertes tells her about Hamlet's lust not love for her, Ophelia immediately responds No more but so? (I. 3. 9. 22) In Act III, Ophelia ends up in a very compromising situation. ... Being sold out by your own father seems bad enough, but even worse, poor Ophelia is forced to betray her lover. ... How ironic and overwhelming a disaster for the free-spirited and innocent Ophelia to take in. ...
Therefore Ophelia could not become Hamlet's wife. ... Ophelia answers that she will "the effect of this good lesson keep." ... He warns Ophelia that she "must not" take Hamlet's promises for "fire." ... Exhausted with so much advice, Ophelia simply gives in. ... Henceforth, the advice has great effect on the young character, as we see in the next Act. ...
The tragedy of Hamlet was an extremely fascinating play with a lot of people exceptionally intriguing characters that did an incredible numerous chivalrous and baffling things regardless of the complexity and difficulty to comprehend the genuine identity William Shakespeare expected for each. Ophelia represents one of the two ladies caught between men set out for reprisal. ... This dismissal is really an aftereffect of what ought to be one of Ophelia's sure character characteristics, her dutifulness. ... Her father caused Ophelia's insanity as does Hamlet's dismissal heaped on ...
Polonius is, in general, an untrusting, sneaky, scheming character and I am sure that Hamlet knew this about him. ... When Ophelia asks him how his honor is, he humbly thanks her and says that he is well. ... When Ophelia attempts to return Hamlet's letters, he denies them by saying, "No, not I. ... Ophelia is clearly confused by these two homonyms as she simply asks, "What means your lordship?" ... As Ophelia prays out, "Oh heavenly powers, restore him!" ...
Literary Analysis Discuss the theme of madness in the play. ... Majority of the main characters throughout the play show small or large behaviors and qualities of anger. ... Out of all the characters, Ophelia and Hamlet can mainly be portrayed as the ones going mad throughout the story. ... The next to "go mad" is Ophelia. ... As Ophelia and Hamlet whine down with their relationship and emotional state, Ophelia is found dead in a small creek. ...
Hamlet Character Analysis Hamlet is a complex character with multiple character traits that lead him through his many confusing and often conflicting actions throughout the play. ... In this way, Hamlet is using his power of analysis, and therefore cannot be truly crazy. ... With his actions of insanity, Hamlet essentially pushed Ophelia into suicide. ... Hamlet is also a melancholy and almost depressed character. ... All in all, the character of Hamlet is a complex character with many conflicting aspects and characteristics which are revealed in the play Hamlet. ...
While reading Hamlet, as the reader focus on one character, the reader can examine why that character is significant in the play. ... Gertrude's character made it seem like she didn't care for Hamlet and her only priority was King Claudius. ... By the time everything went chaotic with Hamlet accidentally killing Polonius, Ophelia and Laertes father, and Ophelia getting wacky ever since she found out her father died in Act 3 Scene 4 to Act 4 Scene 5, Gertrude is trying to push everybody to the side, especially Ophelia. ... Gertrude feels guilty what happened to Ophelia. ... She was on...
