The girl without freedom, without a mind, without a father, without a mother, without a boyfriend, without anything or anyone that mattered; Ophelia had no life at all. Ophelia, a character from the play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, is the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, and lover of prince Hamlet. Even with these three people in her life, she really has no one there for her who "truly" looks out for her best interests. Her father, Polonius, is too busy trying to have everyone like him so he uses his daughter as a pawn. Her bother, Laertes, spends his time in other countries with various women when Ophelia needs him. Hamlet, her only love, is too involved in his father's death to be able to know the true Ophelia. The only three people Ophelia cares about, Polonius, Laertes, and Hamlet, do not care about Ophelia enough to do what is right for her.
Ophelia's father, Polonius, is an extremely unintelligent and self-centered man. Of course he loves his daughter, or so it is believed; but instead of loving her, and letting her be happy, he uses her to get what he wants. He ruins her only happiness in life by separating her from her true love, Hamlet. "In few, Ophelia, do not believe his vows, for they are brokers from this time forth have you so slander any moment leisure as to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet" (Act 1 Scene 3, Lines 135-144). He also shares her pain with others instead of comforting her. He would rather have King Claudius like him than his own daughter, so he makes her read a love letter from Hamlet in front of the whole court. "To the celestial, and my soul's idol, the most beautifies Ophelia Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move, Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love" (Act 2 Scene 2, Lines 117-127). Ophelia's life becomes complicated; but since women of the Elizabethan times are expected to respect and listen to all men, especially their fathers, she does what she is told and ignores the pain inside.
