In the play "Hamlet," by William Shakespeare, characters conflicting with their own personal desires becomes a trend; adding conflict, emotion, and imagery for the reader. One character in particular seems to fit the description of paradoxical with her own self; Ophelia. Ophelia is a prime example of Shakespeare's use of a character to add the classic "Shakespeare open interpretation" for the actors and readers. In the beginning of the play, Ophelia is a sweet, tender loving girl who comes off as a character in a completely healthy state of mind. As the play continues, Ophelia begins to encounter more scaring sights forcing her into a self-inflicted, insane state. Ophelia's mental unsoundness, due to the various events, eventually leads her to her own death. .
One of the particular events that took place (to push Ophelia into her own personal insane asylum) is when Hamlet killed her father. This was an event was forcibly built on top of the emotion between having to choose for the respect of her father, or the love of hamlet. Shakespeare uses characters such as Ophelia to create multiple forms of conflict, in turn, adding to the meaning of the work as a whole. "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. Come your ways." (Act I, Sc. 3, 132-35). In this phrase it becomes obvious that Ophelia is completely controlled by her father. At this point there is no clear answer to what is going on in Ophelia's head during the time in which she hears this. All she replys is "I shall obey, my lord" (Act I, Sc. 3, 136). This was the only socially acceptable way, as a woman with standards, (in the day and age of the setting) to have responded to the situation. Which begs the questions: Did ophelia obey and worship her father because she felt socially obligated to? Or was it completely up to her? The simple solution to these questions would be to agree with both ideals.
