hamlet essay on ophelia

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Ophelia from Shakespeare’s ”Hamlet” Essay

In Hamlet, Shakespeare introduces a concept of women more in keeping with the traditional view than what he usually portrays. The play opens upon Hamlet’s return home following the death of his father. He finds his mother married to his uncle and the ghost of his father appears to inform Hamlet that he had not died accidentally, but rather was killed by the ambitious Claudius and, perhaps, the willing acceptance of Queen Gertrude.

As the action unfolds, Shakespeare tells of how Hamlet seeks a way to both prove what the ghost has said and bring about the revenge that is demanded if the ghost is correct. Hamlet feigns insanity to discover the truth, effectively confusing those around him as was his intention. Because he is acting outside of his normal character, he has no problem using others as they might be used against him, introducing the theme of individual manipulation.

Forced to work alone, his hesitation to act proves almost fatal to his vengeance and most certainly fatal to himself, but not before those he loves are also destroyed. While the concept of manipulation is evident in Hamlet’s actions as well as the actions of several other characters throughout the play, it is perhaps brought into the clearest focus as it applies to the women of the play, particularly Ophelia. Shakespeare employs the traditional view of the woman as a means of illustrating its more dangerous elements through his portrayal of Ophelia in her innocence, the ease with which others use her, and the suspicion that falls on her as a result of the actions of others.

According to the traditional and more popular view of the female sex, women were considered necessary but nearly mindless household accessories rather than actual people. Most of Shakespeare’s women, though, broke this mold in some way, such as the defiance of Desdemona when facing her father or the self-determination shown by Juliet. However, Ophelia floats through the Denmark castle providing little to no valuable service and seemingly without volition or true activity of her own.

Not only conforming to the traditional concept of a submissive, malleable female with little to no educated thoughts of her own, Ophelia also conforms to the traditional concept of a hero’s love interest. She is presented as a demure, chaste young girl, obedient to her father and her brother, mild-mannered and sweet. Her humble question “Not more but so?” (I, iii, 11) following Laertes’ warnings about Hamlet’s interest indicates her traditionally proper complete acceptance of a man’s opinion and directive. Her response to Laertes warning him against debauchery while at school reinforces her role as the guardian of the family soul just as her acquiescence to Laertes, as the male, reinforces that he is the guardian of the family chastity.

She is a faithful servant to the queen and is always engaged in properly frivolous activities – the sewing of decorative things and the knowledge of flowers and songs. She seems to be innocent of the plotting of those around her and proves to be incapable of comprehending the various dynamics of the events unfolding. Shakespeare seems to suggest through this portrayal that an uneducated woman is fated to be the tool of others while an educated woman may have helped avert the tragedy.

Ophelia’s role is to be used completely as a tool or ‘puppet figure’ by the more important protagonists. Seizing upon any tool they can lay their hands on, the King and Polonius readily employ Ophelia as a weapon for their own purposes. At the beginning of the play, she is told by her father in no uncertain terms, to go against her heart and spurn all communication with Hamlet: “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” (I, iii, 132-135).

While this directive can be seen as the natural reaction of a father is working to guard the chastity of his daughter, it can also be seen as a wily political move of an ambitious parent attempting to both protect the assets of the family as well as present alluring bait to the ultimate prize. This interpretation is supported in the almost over-humble way in which he approaches the King and Queen with his theory regarding the cause of Hamlet’s madness, reciting the degeneration of the prince since Ophelia had stopped receiving his messages: “And he, repelled, a short tale to make, / Fell into a sadness, then into a fast, / Thence to a watch, thence into a weakness, / Thence to a lightness, and, by this declension, / Into the madness wherein now he raves” (II, ii, 146-150).

This understanding of Hamlet’s condition (II, ii), provides Polonius with the tool he’s been seeking in the form of his daughter for greater court security as well as providing the King with a tool, again Ophelia, to use against Hamlet himself.

Precisely because of her perfection in her role as the quintessential princely favorite and potential tool, Hamlet is suspicious of her. Not only is Hamlet aware that his already expressed feelings for Ophelia may be used by his enemies against him, he is suspicious of Ophelia’s possible complicity with these enemies, indicating he is aware of a latent intelligence. While this was displayed through her quick wit in turning Laertes’ instructions around, her silence elsewhere makes this easy to forget. Although she is very obviously in love with Hamlet, presenting Hamlet’s pursuit of her in the most honorable and noble terms possible, she is also very obviously torn between her maidenly duty to obey her male elders and the feelings of her heart.

This confusion, as well as the conflicting instructions of her elders, further supports Hamlet’s suspicion that Ophelia may be acting in conscious concert with his uncle. Because he does have feelings for her, he tries to protect her in case she is innocent by hinting at his continued attraction for her as in the play scene – “Lady shall I lie in your lap?” (III, ii, 127) – yet he also rails against her as a means of expressing his thoughts to the other woman he feels has so wronged both him and his father. His mother’s recent treachery has opened his eyes to the devious nature of women and he continues to question whether Ophelia’s innocent-seeming confusion is instead a skillful manipulation of inborn feminine evil.

Without even realizing it, Ophelia thus becomes the pawn of the play. She is unaware of Claudius’ complicity in the death of Hamlet’s father as both Hamlet and the King, of course, are. She innocently believes what her elders have told her, as she has been taught to believe since her earliest childhood and has already proven to have learned well. Because she truly loves Hamlet, Polonius and the King believe she will successfully subdue Hamlet.

For Polonius, either his daughter provides Hamlet with a sudden cure and his family becomes firmly attached to the crown or Hamlet is truly crazy and Polonius will continue in his current function. The risk is small while the rewards are great. For the King, he will gain a clearer understanding of Hamlet’s current behavior, of which he has already become suspicious. However, Hamlet’s recent revelation regarding his mother, coupled with Ophelia’s sudden changes of heart as a result of differing directives, hardens him to also use Ophelia as a puppet.

By portraying the women of Hamlet in ways that are more in keeping with the traditional values of continental Europe, Shakespeare seems to be making an argument in favor of providing women with education and autonomy. Had Ophelia not been brought up to be meek and mild, consistently and completely following the directives of her elders, she perhaps would not have aroused suspicion in Hamlet and instead provided him with an additional individual to confide in. At the same time, she could have avoided her own personal tragedy by avoiding the maddening conflict of emotions that was created when her elders bade her go against the dictates of her heart.

While making women little more than puppets may seem like a good idea to men, Shakespeare demonstrates through Ophelia that the practice, in reality, is a tremendous deficit to the welfare of the woman, the household, and the country overall. In Hamlet, Shakespeare’s style differed from many of his other works by portraying women more realistically to the era, bringing about tragedy, the death of a kingdom, and an unforgettable warning regarding the proper treatment of women in society is to remain healthy.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. “Hamlet.’ The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Alfred Harbage (Ed.). London: Penguin Books, 1969, pp. 930-976.

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IvyPanda. (2021, October 26). Ophelia from Shakespeare's ”Hamlet”. https://ivypanda.com/essays/english-literature-ophelia-from-shakespeares-hamlet/

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Ophelia in “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare

Without any substantial maternal guidance, Ophelia is a lost soul in William Shakespeare’s play, “Hamlet.” Right from the beginning, it is clear that Ophelia is subordinate to the men she interacts with. On the other hand, the men she interacts with are aware of this fact as exemplified by how her brother and her father address her with veiled contempt. It can be argued that Ophelia’s character represents the subordination and ill-treatment of women during that time and era.

The situation of Ophelia in the story is that of a young girl who, from an early age, is brought from a life of privacy into the circle of a court.” (Vanderlyn 92). One of the most striking aspects of Ophelia’s character is her cluelessness and her ability to maintain her femininity. Lack of maternal guidance, possession of a naïve spirit, and lack of exposure are the main reasons for Ophelia’s unhealthy love to Hamlet and her subsequent tragedy.

Ophelia is most likely an orphan as no mention of her mother is made during the entire play. Moreover, Ophelia lacks a substitute mother figure in her life. Ophelia depends on her father Polonius and her brother Laertes for nurture and guidance. Ophelia does not have any nostalgic feelings towards her mother, a sign that her mother “might have died when she was an infant” (Brown 1). Ophelia’s father acts as her primary guardian and counselor. She lacks the privilege of receiving advice from her kind.

For example, her father and her brother are the ones who stress to her the need for maintaining her chastity. Receiving advice of this type from a male figure is “not only inappropriate, but it is also moot as her seducers are men themselves” (Floyd-Wilson 397). Everything Ophelia knows about men, she has learned from her father and her brother. For instance, their interferences in her relationship with Hamlet are based on their male perspective. Ophelia’s lack of maternal influence reduces her to a lone ranger.

In a patriarchal world where women are treated as objects and are almost overrun by men, Ophelia would have benefited from having a maternal confidant. Possibly, the confidant would have offered advice that would have helped her maneuvers in the patriarchal society. Her relationship with Hamlet is contrary to the wishes of her father.

Given that her father is the only influential parent in her life, the decision to go against his wishes weighs heavily on her conscious. It is possible that this decision contributed to her insanity and subsequent suicide. Any maternal influence would have helped dilute the tension that surrounded Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship.

Ophelia’s exists in a society that is dominated by men. This limits her choices in life, and her whole existence is reduced to loyalty and obedience to the men in her life. Ophelia’s life did not have many freedoms. However, her submissiveness is not personal, but it applies to all the women of her time. For instance, Hamlet’s relationship with his mother reveals that “submissiveness is something that was expected from all women” (Floyd-Wilson 397).

Ophelia’s tragic love for Hamlet is directly related to her submissiveness towards her father and at times, her brother. Throughout her youth, Ophelia obeys her father without questioning his authority. Ophelia obeys her father’s orders without questioning them as witnessed when her father warns her against a relationship with Hamlet to which she replies, “I shall obey, my lord” (Shakespeare 11).

Nevertheless, Ophelia’s submissive nature is not reflective of her innermost feelings. For example, she respectfully criticizes her brother for applying double standards when it comes to chastity. This scene reveals that Ophelia’s submission does not mean that she lacks an opinion of her own. This submission is what keeps Ophelia from questioning the dynamics of her relationship with Hamlet. It is correct to argue that Ophelia’s tragic insanity could be related to her submissiveness because she lacked a healthy outlet for her feelings.

Ophelia’s naivety makes her easy to manipulate. Hamlet constantly manipulates Ophelia to do whatever he wants. At first, Hamlet tries to convince her to be his lover and then uses her to perpetuate his fake madness. He performs several ‘crazy’ antics in front of her hoping that she will “speak of the horrors” she saw (Shakespeare 23).

Also, Hamlet uses Ophelia as the tool of her revenge against his mother, Gertrude. Instead of being honest with Ophelia, Hamlet uses her to perpetuate his negative stereotypes about women. “Hamlet’s cold-heartedness proves to be too much a burden for Ophelia” who loves Hamlet with all her heart (Bierman 1).

Ophelia spends all her days being shielded in Lord Chamberlain’s household. Both her father and her brother are very protective of the young Ophelia. Other than Hamlet who is very suspicious towards Ophelia, everybody else is aware of her good nature. Her good nature is also apparent to the audience. On the other hand, Ophelia has “gone through life oblivious to the harsh realities of life” (Brown 1).

This naivety is fostered by the fact that her father and her brother love her very much, and they are willing to do anything to guarantee her happiness. Ophelia is not involved in any political matters at the King’s court (Barnet, Burto and Cain 112). She spends her days gathering flowers and practicing needlework. She is also very appreciative of the love her brother and her father show to her. Being sheltered proves to be disadvantageous to Ophelia. For instance, Ophelia lacks the real-world experience that she can use when defending herself.

Even though her love for Hamlet is quite strong, she is not able to defend it. Her naïve nature leaves her at the “mercy of her father, who makes all decisions for her” (Dane 1). When Polonius dies, she is unable to cope, and she eventually loses her mind. Lack of exposure proves to be one of the factors that contribute to her tragedy.

Her entire life is engineered by forces that are out of her control. When the time comes for her to manage her affairs, Ophelia finds that she “does not have the necessary expertise” (Taylor 6). It would be prudent to assume that exposure to the real world would have been beneficial to Ophelia’s plight.

Ophelia’s tragic fate seems to be sealed right from the beginning. While all the men in the play spend their time calculating their next moves, Ophelia sits at the court waiting for the men to make decisions for her. When the men are gone, her lack of experience in real-world issues proves to be tragic.

Shakespeare uses Ophelia’s character as the epitome of tragedy in “Hamlet.” Her lack of maternal guidance and her frail nature are her main weaknesses when traumatic events bombard her. When she realizes how powerless she is, her actions spell out the greatest tragedy in her life.

Works Cited

Barnet, Sylvan, William Burto, and William Cain. Literature for Composition . New York, NY: Pearson Publishing, 2007. Print.

Bierman, Elsinore. Frailty, thy name is woman: Portraits of Ophelia . Web.

Brown, Heather. Gender and Identity in Hamlet: A Modern Interpretation of Ophelia . Web.

Dane, Gabrielle. Reading Ophelia’s Madness . Web.

Floyd-Wilson, Mary. “Ophelia and Femininity in the Eighteenth Century: Dangerous Conjectures in Ill-Breeding Minds’.” Women’s Studies 21.4 (2002): 397. Print.

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet . New York, NY: WW Norton, 2011. Print

Taylor, Mark. “Shakespeare’s Hamlet.” Explicator 65.1 (2006): 4-7. Print.

Vanderlyn, Bertha. “ Shakespeare’s Gentle Heroine. ” Fine Arts Journal 14.3 (1903): 91- 94. Web.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Hamlet — How Plot Events Shape Ophelia’s Character Development in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

How Plot Events Shape Ophelia's Character Development in Shakespeare's Hamlet

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The influence of family dynamics, the impact of love and betrayal, the role of madness, a tragic end.

• Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." Edited by Barbara A Mowat & Paul Werstine.
• Kahn, Coppélia (1997). "Roman Fever: Women Writing About Men." New York: St Martin's Press.
• Muirhead M., et al., (2009). "The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare." Cambridge University Press.
• Parker R., (1996). "Shakespeare from The Margins." University of California Press.
• Schoenfeldt M., (2008). "Reading Renaissance Ethics." Cambridge University Press.

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Hamlet Ophelia Essay

Ophelia In Hamlet

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As one of only two female characters in Hamlet it seems surprising that Ophelia is presented as unsubstantial and entirely passive. She is polarized by her love for Hamlet and sense of duty to her father, and these feeling bind her completely. She neither questions her father’s demands and instructions nor queries Hamlet’s supposed madness, as both attempt to use her for their own gain. Bound by duty to the men in her life, to her father and brother she is the eternal virgin – the vessel of morality whilst to Hamlet she is a sexual object, she is unable to comprehend these contradictory expectations. The dilemmas these relationships cause force Ophelia to reflect on the irreconcilable contradictory selves that her men demand and this ultimately forces her into madness. Through an exploration her relationships with her brother and father, of her descent into madness and her death, it becomes clear Ophelia is used to destructively further divide the Danish court and augment the sense of systemic corruption. It seems natural to start with Ophelia’s relationship with her father, Polonius. Polonius instantly asserts his dominance over Ophelia by declaring “I would not…have you…give words or have talk with the Lord Hamlet” – he immediately attempts to block Ophelia’s burgeoning romance and in doing so destroys any sense of autonomy and freedom she may have. This sense of Ophelia’s subjugation and passivity is augmented by her response, “I shall obey, my lord” which instantly presents her as entirely submissive and easily manipulated. This moment foreshadows the way Ophelia is pawned by Polonius to establish the validity of Hamlet’s madness in Act 3 scene 1, evidence that Ophelia is used by the male protagonists to further divide the Danish court and so augment the sense of systemic corruption. Furthermore, most importantly perhaps are the expectations Laertes and Polonius have of Ophelia. Laertes tells Ophelia to be wary of Hamlet’s “unmastered importunity” and that to open her “chaste treasure” to him would be a “loss [of] honour”. The use of “treasure” here immediately presents female virginity as a token of honour and purity. The importance of virginity is augmented through “The canker galls the infants of the spring”. The use of “canker”, meaning cancer, immediately presents Hamlet as something corrupt and destructive and here Laertes seems to attempt to manipulate and alter Ophelia’s view of her would be lover. The clever use of “galls” is again suggestive of venality and when applied to virginity Laertes suggests that without it Ophelia would be impure and contaminated. Shakespeare’s constant use of natural images being corrupted, seen here in the “gall[ing of the] spring”, seems symbolic of the systemic corruption seen in “the state of Denamark”. This presentation of virginity and the values discussed would be shared by Shakespeare’s audience. For the Elizabethans a women’s virginity was seen as a sign of purity and innocence, values highly important in 16th century Britain. The importance with which Laertes discusses Ophelia’s virginity and his demand for Ophelia to “fear” Hamlet is a clear attempt to manipulate her against her love. This once again highlights Ophelia’s susceptibility to the men in her life and highlights the way Ophelia is used to destructively further divide the Danish court and augment the sense of systemic corruption. Unlike Hamlet’s metaphysical “antic-disposition”, Ophelia’s madness is presented as a product of supposed female nature. The description of her “spurn[ing] enviously at straws [and] speak[ing] in doubt” presents Ophelia as hysterical – something typically associated with crazed women. Indeed in madness she “sings” explicit sexual references – “baker’s daughter” a symbol of lust and prostitution – and this immediately seems to suggest that in Shakespeare’s time a discussion of female sexuality was reserved for the unhinged and mad. Indeed her madness seems entirely symbolic, by tossing flowers and herbs during her mad ramblings – “there’s rosemary…and there’s pansies” – she symbolically deflowers herself, perhaps alluding to a loss of virginity, and the impurity of character this causes is mirrored by her physical madness. This idea of Ophelia being purely imbued with symbolism would be backed up by Bridget Lyon who wrote, “Ophelia is most persistently presented in terms of symbolic meanings.” She suggests that her character is used by Shakespeare as an emblem and icon of femininity. This is seen particularly during her madness where she parades the stage “sing[ing]” of flowers. Furthermore, her madness seems to be used by Shakespeare to physically display the corruption evident in the Danish court. The devastating effects corruption can cause seem to be embodied by Ophelia as she is driven mad by Polonius’ and Hamlet’s attempts to manipulate and control her. Shakespeare further augments the sense of corruption and drives further divides in the Danish court by using Ophelia’s madness to inspire Laertes to revenge. Laertes’ violent and acerbic “Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye! By heaven, thy madness shall be paid by weight” immediately foreshadows the death and destruction to come. Claudius’ intensely corrupt nature is displayed as he uses Ophelia’s madness to manipulate Laertes into enacting revenge on those responsible for it – “and where th’offence is, let the great axe fall”. It seems clear therefore that Ophelia’s madness is used by Shakespeare to further divide the Danish court and augment the sense of systemic corruption. Finally, it is interesting to note the nature of her death. Her death is announced by Gertrude, “Your sister’s drowned, Laertes”, in act 4 scene 7. Of course “drowned” signifies Ophelia died in water and this is interesting. Drowning can be clearly associated with female fluidity – it is symbolic of tears, traditionally a feminine display of sadness – and it seems fitting Ophelia is killed by a substance as easily manipulated as she was. Indeed, Gertrude’s description of her suicide, elegy even, is filled with beautiful images of “fantastic garlands” and “brook[s] all typically feminine images. This again highlights Ophelia’s superficiality, she is a symbol of femininity and the emblemic nature of her character is again highlighted by her death, surrounded by symbols of femininity – namely water and flowers. This is a point also theorized by phenomenologist Gaston Bachelard who argues that “drowning becomes the truly feminine death in the dramas of literature and life, one which is a beautiful immersion and submersion in the female element” and this is clearly exemplified by Ophelia’s death in water surrounded by symbols of femininity. It is important to note that she dies off stage, her death is not seen as important enough to be visually represented. This immediately suggests that Shakespeare viewed her as a plot device, meant to tear the opposing sides of the Danish court further apart. Not only is she used as a pawn by the characters in the play she is also a practical device used by Shakespeare to drive and move the plot. Furthermore, her death seems to be constantly alluded to as suicide, “she drowned herself in her own defence”. For a Shakespearian audience this would be seen as the ultimate form of corruption, not permissible for a Christian burial (indeed, her funeral is described as “maimed rites” – the priest does not want to conduct the ceremony due to the nature of her death), this suggestion of suicide seems to be another comment on the corrupt nature of the Danish court. Finally, Ophelia’s funeral becomes a battle ground, “[Grappling with him]” – as Laertes and Hamlet fight, this highlights how even in death Ophelia is used to destructively further divide the Danish court. Overall, an exploration of Ophelia’s relationships with her father and her brother immediately highlight her susceptibility to manipulation. This combined with her descent into madness and the treatment of her eventual death quickly highlights how her character is used by Shakespeare to destructively further divide the Danish court and augment the sense of systemic corruption.

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Characterization of Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet Amanda Louise

Ophelia’s situation in Shakespeare’s Hamlet not only invokes pity in the reader but also provides an example of the nature of men and women and accentuates Hamlet’s tragic flaws. Shakespeare so beautifully links the female with the liquid, insanity, and frailty through this character that we often fail to realize the underlying message he intended for us. Ophelia’s mistreatment by the various men in her life drove her to insanity, and eventually to her symbolic death.

Ophelia had little self-esteem to begin with. When Laertes confronts her about her relationship with the prince Hamlet, she simply complies. He does not try to be sensitive when he tells Ophelia that Hamlet’s love is “a fashion and a toy in blood, a violet in…nature, forward, not permanent, sweet, [and] not lasting” (1.3.7-9). Laertes, however, is the least of the harmful influences the male sex has on Ophelia. Ophelia’s father Polonius is incredibly unkind, insensitive, and disrespectful of his daughter. Polonius does not credit Ophelia with enough common sense to be able to judge anything on her own. He cruelly twists her words and tells her she should consider herself a baby. His mistreatment of his daughter permanently forges an emotional barrier between...

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