"Pretty Ophelia, " as Claudius calls her, is the most innocent victim of Hamlet's revenge in Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Hamlet has fallen in love with Ophelia after the death of his father. Ophelia "sucked the honey of his music vows " and returned Hamlet's affection. But when her father had challenged Hamlet's true intentions, Ophelia could only say: "I do not know, my lord, what I should think. " Ophelia was used to relying on her father's directions and she was also brought up to be obedient. This allowed her to only accept her father's views that Hamlet's attention towards her was only to take advantage of her and to obey her father's orders not to permit Hamlet to see her again. .
Hamlet has the disillusion that women are frail after his mother's rushed remarriage as shown by "Frailty, thy name is woman! " He also believes women do not have the power to reason. ("O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason. ") Ophelia has the power to change his view but her unexplained rejection of him only adds to Hamlet's disillusion. The ghost's revelation that Gertrude dishonored Hamlet's father but also their marriage by the adultery with Claudius is contemplated by Hamlet until he goes into Ophelia's room to look upon her. As Hamlet searches Ophelia's face for some sign that might restore his faith in her, he instead believes her face shows guilt and thinks she is another false Gertrude. .
There is much similarity between Gertrude and Ophelia in the play. Both are attractive and simple minded, and are easily shaped by opinion, desires and ideas of others. Ophelia and Gertrude seem to be the same women at different stages in their lives. This may be one of the reasons why Hamlet was first attracted to Ophelia and now the reason why Hamlet rejects Ophelia. .
By disposition, Gertrude turns to the positive side of life and can't bear to face pain. The pain she felt after her adultery with Claudius may have been what motivated Claudius to murder her husband.
Perhaps the flowers that best represent Ophelia's emotions were given to Gertrude. Columbines, which Ophelia gives to Gertrude, symbolize thanklessness and ungratefulness. ... Ophelia also gives Gertrude a daisy. ... Shakespeare uses flowers to refer to Ophelia. Flowers represent Ophelia's innocence and beauty. ...
This essay aims to analyse the five main characters, Hamlet, Ophelia, Claudius, Gertrude and Polonius, and examine how they interact, using a Feminist Reading. ... (I, II, 156 - 157) Hamlet expresses his disgust at Gertrude's sexuality. ... Claudius also uses Gertrude to control Hamlet. ... Ophelia: ""Tis brief my lord." ... Both Gertrude and Ophelia are portrayed to be exceedingly beautiful. ...
The modest relationship shared with the only two women in the play, Gertrude and Ophelia, is best depicted in Prince Hamlet's cynical and neurotic behaviour towards them. ... Gertrude agrees, unaware of Claudius and Polonius' actual intentions. ... Ophelia says to Hamlet, "I think nothing, my lord."" ... Gertrude and Ophelia are represented as figures that seem to be submerged in the deceitful power-game played out by the male figures in this play. ... As a result, both female characters are murdered, despite their innocence and naivety. ...
Furthermore, in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, there are two main women characters: Ophelia, who ends up mad and drowned, and Gertrude, who ends up dead. ... On one hand, there is the gentle, loving and beautiful Ophelia. Ophelia's death is tragic because of her utter innocence in the situation. ... On the other hand, there is the weak and unpredictable Gertrude. ... Therefore, Gertrude is a victim of circumstance, just like Ophelia. ...
Claudius and Gertrude send away for two of Hamlet's friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. ... Ophelia is upset by Hamlet's behaviour, and she is deceived into believing that he doesn't have feelings for her when in actual fact he does. This leads to Ophelia's subsequent despair. ... This reveals that he would rather have both Hamlet and Gertrude die, than see them both live. ... In other cases, it is the innocence of a person that leads to their fatality. ...
He jumps into Ophelia's grave, and fights with Laertes in her grave. He professes I loved Ophelia. ... When Hamlet is around Polonius, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he behaves unreasonably. ... Many readers believe the final scene, in which Gertrude drinks the poisoned cup, is the clue to determining her guilt or innocence. Perhaps Gertrude drank the poison out of guilt from her role in her first husband's death. ...
Thus act 3 Scene 4 is a hint towards Hamlets cold and heartless side and it is here that we find out about Gertrude's innocence of any "Foul Play" as she repeats Hamlets accusation "As kill a king! ... Gertrude loves to be happy. ... Her innocence is further proven by the astonishment in her reply "as kill a king" to Hamlet. ... In addition to these deaths, Hamlet can be indirectly linked to the deaths of Ophelia and Gertrude. ... The scene where he tells Ophelia "get thee to a nunnery!" ...
Hamlet's innocence and naivety are revealed when the audience sees his reaction to his mother's remarriage. When he returns from school, he's slapped with more unpleasant news: no one is mourning his father's passing, but instead they are celebrating Gertrude and Claudisu's wedding. ... Although the audience doesn't know the full story between Hamlet and Ophelia, it is obvious that falling in love and then causing Ophelia's death furthered Hamlet's transition from innocence into maturity. ... As he fights with Laertes at Ophelia's funeral, Hamlet ...
Gertrude and Ophelia are the only two innocents. ... Polonius and Laertes control Ophelia. While Gertrude is blind to all that goes on. ... Ophelia's madness represents the true decay of society, for unlike Hamlet, Ophelia is not pretending. ... Society has become appearance with only a hint of truth, innocence, like Ophelia's, could never survive...
