Essay on Ophelia - The Innocent Victim in Shakespeares...

Ophelia - The Innocent Victim in Shakespeares Hamlet Poor Ophelia, she lost her lover, her father, her mind, and, posthumously, her brother. Ophelia is the only truly innocent victim in Hamlet. This essay will examine Ophelias downward spiral from a chaste maiden to nervous wreck. From the beginning of the play, in Act I Scene iii, Laertes and Polonius are trying to convince her that Hamlet does not love her and only is interested in her so he can sleep with her. Laertes says Perhaps he loves you now, ...... His greatness weighed, his will is not his own. He is telling Ophelia that she is likely to have her heart broken because of Hamlets high birth. He may not be able to choose who he marries, so although he†¦show more content†¦In Act III scene i, Polonius and the King hide behind Ophelias curtains and eavesdrop on the conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet goes on to scold Ophelia and accuse her of not being chaste Ha, ha! Are you honest? ... Are you fair? ... Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be / a breeder of sinners? Hamlet goes on to say ...This was sometime a paradox, but now / the time gives it proof. I did love you once. Ophelia replies with Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so. Her heart must have torn in two when Ham let came back with You should not have believed me, for virtue / cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish / of it. I loved you not. Hamlet admits that he was deceiving her the whole time. This was likely a major factor in Ophelias descent into madness and eventually, death. Again, Ophelia is the victim. Ophelias downfall continues throughout the play, and her final plunge into the waters of madness and suicide culminate around her fathers death. Hamlet, while talking threateningly to his mother, accidentally slays Polonius who was hiding behind the curtain in his mothers room. Hamlet thought it was Claudius he heard coming to his mothers aid when she cried for help and lunged at the curtain with his sword, killing Polonius. O, I am slain! were his final words. After Ophelia learns of her fathers death at the hands of her estranged lover, she goesShow MoreRelated Shakespeares Hamlet - The Character of Ophelia Essay3341 Words   |  14 PagesHamlet: The Character of Ophelia  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Concerning the Ophelia of Shakespeare’s tragic drama Hamlet, is she an innocent type or not? Is she a victim or not? This essay will explore these and other questions related to this character.    Rebecca West in â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption† viciously, and perhaps unfoundedly, attacks the virginity of Ophelia:    There is no more bizarre aspect of the misreading of Hamlet’s character than the assumptionRead MoreFemale Characters in Hamlet4091 Words   |  17 Pagesis a story of one, or at most two persons. 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In Shakespeare’s Hamlet was Ophelia’s madness contributed to by the prince’s rejection of her? The answers to these and other questions about this tragic figure will be given. Rebecca West in â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption† argues that Ophelia has no love for Hamlet, but only for her father: For the myth which has been built round Hamlet is neverRead More Sex in Othello and Hamlet Essay4016 Words   |  17 Pagesinsane. William Shakespeares plays, Othello and Hamlet, demonstrate on paper, on film, and in other art forms that female sexuality and beauty are a threat to patriarchal society and that they must be controlled. Showalter affirms this in her essay by quoting David Laverenzes essay, The Woman in Hamlet. In this essay he asserts that, Hamlets disgust at the feminine passivity in himself translated into violent revulsion against women and into his brutal behavior toward Ophelia (Showalter 222)Read More The Impact of Ophelia on Hamlet Essay1973 Words   |  8 PagesImpact of Ophelia on Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚   Could the Bard of Avon have created a more innocent and obedient young lady in Hamlet than the victimized Ophelia? I think not. Let us discuss the ups and downs of her life in the play.    Michael Pennington in â€Å"Ophelia: Madness Her Only Safe Haven,† describes personality traits of the young lady: This is the woman she might have become – warm, tolerant and imaginative. Instead she becomes jagged, benighted and imaginative. . . .Ophelia is made madRead MoreThe Importance of the Now1714 Words   |  7 Pagescenturies. Fictional characters are no exception. Hamlet, in particular, seems very concerned with the prospect of facing the consequences of one’s actions in the afterlife. In Act 3, he is afraid Claudius will be forgiven if he dies while praying (Ham. 3.3.77-83). In his famous â€Å"To be or not to be† soliloquy, Hamlet concludes that fear of the afterlife is what prevents man from committing suicide and escaping the miseries of an earthly existence(â€Å"Hamlet†). Hamlet is also consumed by the idea of death itself-Read MoreInvestigation of Hamlets Tragic Flaw that Led to his Demise Essay1384 Words   |  6 Pages William Shakespeares tragedy plays have fascinated people from the time of the renaissance to present modern times. All his tragedy plays are five acts long, and the climax of the play occurs in the third act. In each and every tragedy play there is a tragic hero who bears a tragic flaw. Every tragic hero usually possesses valor characteristics such as bravery, honesty, intelligence, and so on. In the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet the tragic hero is Hamlet. He is an