Like most of the typical Shakespearian plays, Ophelia is a female character, who is torn between family tie and personal love. Unaware of all the dirty schemes and deceits going on behind her back, innocent Ophelia is bluntly taken advantage of by two people she truly loves the most in the world: Polonius, her father, and Hamlet, her lover.
Right from the start, Ophelia is put in a dilemma of having to choose between following her heart and feelings for the infamous heart breaker Hamlet, and obeying her father's wishes to end her relationship with the charming prince. The tragedy for Ophelia is that she chooses her father, saying.
I shall obey, my lord (I. 3. 136. 28).
By making the decision, Ophelia shows a passivity that foreshadows all the misfortunes she will suffer because of her not daring to stand up for herself and following her heart's callings.
One of the main reasons why Ophelia seems to be so easily swept off her feet by Hamlet may be of her lack of a mother figure. Most of the other growing ladies learn how to deal with emotion, relationship and men mainly from their mothers. Ophelia, on the other hands, doesn't get to experience this same upbringing, but instead having two controlling and overprotective men constantly at her guard. That's why, once she falls for Hamlet, her burning passion that has been suppressed over the course of years, gets fueled and exploded. She, at some points, disregards bad things people are saying about Hamlet, which once again shows a rebellious side of Ophelia. When Laertes tells her about Hamlet's lust not love for her, Ophelia immediately responds.
No more but so? (I. 3. 9. 22).
In Act III, Ophelia ends up in a very compromising situation. Polonius uses his very own daughter to bait and spy on Hamlet. Being sold out by your own father seems bad enough, but even worse, poor Ophelia is forced to betray her lover. Through her obedience to Polonius, she has lost her lover and more importantly his trust.
