...As one progresses through Shakespeare’s Hamlet, it becomes overly evident that Ophelia is the most deserving of readers’ sympathy because of the following reasons: as a women, she is weak and has no authority over her own affairs; she has no control over her madness and her death; she is never compensated for her father’s death or her lover’s betrayal. Shakespeare creates sympathy for Ophelia by introducing her to the audience as a women who is too naïve to understand the difference between love and lust and who has no control over her life as both her brother Leartes and her father Polonius dictate her to keep her distance from Hamlet who will only use her for sex and will not marry her (I.iii.5-136). Polonius also plans to “loose my daughter to him” (II.ii.154) to spy on Hamlet just like he is using his servant Reynaldo to spy on Leartes making it clear that Ophelia holds no more importance to Polonius as a daughter than as a servant. Shakespeare amplifies Ophelia’s weakness in Act IV by bringing to light Ophelia’s insanity caused by the grief of her father’s death. While Hamlet is duty bound as a Prince and “his will is not his own, / For he himself is subject to his birth. / He may not, as unvalued persons do, / Carve for himself” (1.iii.17-20), one cannot sympathize with him as he is still a prince, but the fact that being born as a girl robs Ophelia of her basic right to make her own life decisions, begs the audience to direct their sympathy towards Ophelia the most. As...
Words: 495 - Pages: 2
...murder and betrayal and that the offenders are, respectively, his uncle and his mother, it is no wonder he is so depressed. His depression, however, does not prevent him from achieving revenge, nor does it stop him from being a very poetic and inspiring person. With all of his burdens, it is no wonder that Hamlet is so prone to sadness. Many people would simply give up and stop looking for justice. However, Hamlet proves that he is a tragic hero by using his anger, resentment and sadness to motivate him to seek a just revenge which is, of course, Cladius’s death. What is very interesting about the play, however, is that Hamlet delays this revenge for almost the whole play. He discovers Cladius’s betrayal in Act I when the ghost of his father visits him. Yet, he does not really strive to get revenge until late in the final act, Act V. This is evidence of just how depressed he is. As everyone knows, depression really affects behavior. It tends to make people inactive and unmotivated. Even though Hamlet knows he has been betrayed by his mother and uncle, his anger about that is far outweighed by his depression. It tends to blunt the instinct he has to seek revenge. However, when Hamlet discovers proof of his uncle’s treachery (the letter to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern), he is ready to take revenge. Outside of murder and betrayal, there are other reasons for Hamlet’s depression: the death of his love, Ophelia, his resentment toward his mother, his betrayal by his friends...
Words: 1375 - Pages: 6
...female characters in William Shakespeare's Hamlet appear to be fragile collateral figures that are mistreated by men, causing great misfortune. However, there is more to these female roles than what meets the eye. Ophelia is one of the characters that had an impact on the action of the story. Even though Shakespeare's intention for Hamlet was not meant to be a woman-based play, the female roles are more significant than what the readers believe. Through closer investigation, the true purpose of these females such as Ophelia unfolds, and it becomes evident that these women were more significant to driving the action of the play, than they were at first glance. In Hamlet, the role of Ophelia is presented as a very submissive, but gentle, loyal, proper and loving young woman. Ophelia is meant to be...
Words: 1305 - Pages: 6
...Within the play Hamlet, females are viewed as weak minded and are used as pawns by the leading male characters. Through the character of Ophelia, the author portrays women as being easily manipulated by the men in their life. There are several instances in which the young girl is used by others in order to fulfill their personal agendas. I feel that being constantly influenced by Laertes, Polonius, and Hamlet ultimately diminished the good attributes of Ophelia and led to her downfall. In the beginning of the play, it is clear that Ophelia’s brother, Laertes, does not approve of her relationship with Hamlet. He sees his sister in the purest light and, “takes great pains to shelter her” (Mabillard). Laertes believes that the love she and...
Words: 617 - Pages: 3
...In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet experiences his mother’s remarriage to his uncle and Ophelia’s rejection which makes him feels very upset and angry about women. “Frailty, thy name is woman.”(1.2.146) This suggests that Hamlet thinks that all women in the world are weak and act in the same way. At the beginning of the play, Ophelia describes Hamlet’s love for her that Hamlet has a great affection on her and he has made the holiest vows to her. However, Polonius still asks Ophelia to leave Hamlet. Later in the play, Ophelia follows her father’s advice and rejects Hamlet’s love. Hamlet starts to treat Ophelia terribly. It brings to a question that whether Hamlet loves Ophelia or not. Hamlet is angry for Gertrude’s remarriage to Claudius because he loves and cares about his mother. It is the same for Ophelia. His mad and angry acts towards Ophelia show readers that he loves and cares about Ophelia because no one will be mad if he is betrayed by someone who is insignificant to him. The ways Hamlet talks and treat Gertrude are almost the same with the ways treats Ophelia. This shows Ophelia is as important as his mother. Hamlet is upset for his mother’s hasty remarriage and his thought of his mother worsen when the ghost tells him that Gertrude marries to a person who is the murderer of his father. He loves his mother so much that draws him to madness. He starts to treat his mother badly. “What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not murder me? Help, help, ho!” (3.4.22-23) He is being...
Words: 1060 - Pages: 5
...tragedy Hamlet, Ophelia tries to be an obedient daughter to her over-bearing father, a loyal sister to her protective brother, an affectionate sweetheart to her mad Prince and a dutiful courtier to her scheming King. Her world is dominated by the men she tries hard to please—to be what they need her to be with little thought for what she wants or who she is. The result of her adherence to everything patriarchy tells her to be is abandonment by her dear brother, betrayal of her regal lover who rejects her then murders her beloved father, and ultimately madness and suicide at the bottom of pretty river after singing some sweet folk songs. Her father Polonius echoes these warnings, finally forcing Ophelia to swear she will not see Hamlet any longer. “These blazes, daughter,” says Polonius, “Giving more light than heat extinct in both, you must not take for fire.” What an eloquent way of expressing life with a Time Lord: all flash and fireworks but over far too soon. What a prophetic way of expressing Martha’s feelings as she takes the blaze of her admiration for fire, though the Doctor gives her more light than heat. Despite the opposition of her family Martha, like Ophelia, does her best to do right by all the people in her life. Also like Ophelia, the effort of meeting these demands tears her apart. Nowhere is this more evident than in The Last of the Time Lords, but we see her strain earlier in the Human Nature/Family of Blood episodes. The men in Ophelia’s life abandon...
Words: 484 - Pages: 2
...this. People respond to death in a wide variety of ways, ranging from grief, to rage, to deep depression bordering on insanity. It is this last response that the public views least favorably. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the titular protagonist has difficulty accepting the death of his father, and many of the coping mechanisms that he employs are still seen by individuals forced to deal with death in modern society. Hamlet's struggle with his father's death is the primary mechanism behind his inability to fall in line with the dictates of society. Hamlet is raised by his mother and father, the King and Queen of Denmark. As a child, Hamlet is relatively sheltered from death, and it is this unfamiliarity that leaves him unable to cope with it as an adult, when his world is shattered by the murder of his father. Initially, Hamlet does not know the cause behind his father's passing, but his father's ghost later reveals that he was murdered. When Hamlet learns that his father was killed by his brother, Claudius, he cries out, "O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain" (1.5.106). Claudius, it seems, intended to marry Queen Gertrude and be crowned King of Denmark in his brother's stead. Once Hamlet discovers the reason behind his father's death, his sense of betrayal only increases...
Words: 676 - Pages: 3
...Deaths Progression in Hamlet “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death the memory be green, and that it us befitted to bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom. To be contracted in one brow of woe, yet so far hath discretion fought with nature. That we with wisest sorrow think on him, together with remembrance of ourselves.” (Shakespeare, Hamlet 1.2.1) Claudius (the current king of Denmark and husband of his dead brother’s wife Gertrude) here states that it is befitted for the whole kingdom to mourn Hamlet Sr.’s death. Although he is saying that it is okay to mourn his death, he is also stating that it is wise for the entire kingdom to move on from this quickly. By saying this, Claudius is trying to cover up the murder of Hamlet Sr., and make it seem like it never happened. Claudius is guilty for this, and that is why he has decided to try his best to make everyone in the kingdom forget about the death so he doesn’t get caught. Hamlet is a magnificent tragedy that is full of betrayal, revenge and a lot of revengeful death. Written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet takes place in England in the year of 1602. After his father dies, Hamlet’s life becomes more troubled because of the deaths of many of the people in his life that followed. He goes insane, which could very well be Hamlet’s cover up for showing his true feelings about his father’s death. The nature and progression of death in Hamlet is a large theme that overpowers many of the characters within the play. The...
Words: 1106 - Pages: 5
...Hamlet suddenly opened Ophelia’s door in shock and Ophelia glared at him absentmindedly. He grabbed her hand physically and observed her like there was a spider on her face. Ophelia examined him in confusion thinking about what is wrong with him. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet shows Ophelia how much he loves her with a letter that he writes her. However, sometimes he does not show it at times. Although, when he finds out that Ophelia died, he shows everyone that he loves her with all his heart. Hamlet undeniably loves Ophelia because he cares, he is protective, and he made sure she was happy. Hamlet shows he loves Ophelia by reacting strongly after she dies. For example, when Hamlet finds out that Ophelia died, he screams to Laertes,”Will you cry? Fight? Stop eating? Cut yourself? Drink vinegar? Eat a crocodile? I’ll do all that,” (Shakespeare 297). Hamlet explains to Laertes that he will do anything to have her around one more time. He is devastated that Ophelia died. He just wishes to spend one more moment with her if she were alive. For example,...
Words: 659 - Pages: 3
...Drama Connections Drama Connections After reading the play, Hamlet, I’ve come to a great understanding of the actual character of Hamlet. Hamlet was a prince who felt like he was stuck in a castle full of betrayal. Claudius, the King of Denmark, was his uncle/stepfather. He had murdered the former King, Hamlet Senior, whom was also his brother. Claudius then married young Hamlet’s mother a couple months after the death of the former king. In the beginning of the story, young Hamlet knew of his father’s death, but did not know that it wasn’t an accidental death. The ghost of the former king paid a visit to a couple of guards and Hamlet only to tell Hamlet the story of his death. The ghost let Hamlet know that Claudius was the one at fault for his death because he had murdered him. He also told Hamlet to seek revenge upon Claudius. After the ghost’s visit, Hamlet felt like he had gone mad! He felt crazy and he couldn’t believe that Claudius had killed his father so he could become King of Denmark and marry his mother and take her as Queen. Another possible reason for Hamlet’s madness was his love for Ophelia. Although, in the story, it’s said that his madness comes from the rejection from Ophelia, I did not see it. I thought his madness resulted from the appearance of the ghost of his father. His father’s death left him devastated and the fact that his mother married his uncle right away left him flustered. Combined, the death of his father with the marriage of his mother and...
Words: 1313 - Pages: 6
...William Shakespeare's Hamlet and Disney’s Lion King might seem to be two different stories. However, Hamlet and Simba have a lot in common. They both go through the hardships of their father’s death and a new king taking his place. They also have to face betrayal from many people that they are close to. The death of a parent would be enough tragedy for someone, but both Simba and Hamlet go through much more. The first acts of betrayal in Shakespeare's Hamlet was the murdering of Hamlet’s father, the King of Denmark. Hamlet found out about this wrongdoing by the ghost that happens to be the deceased king. The ghost states “Take revenge for his horrible murder, that crime against nature”(Shakespeare 63). The King continues, “Now listen, Hamlet....
Words: 1074 - Pages: 5
...Teen suicide in comparison to Hamlet is not that far off from modern day teens. They all work together in unison, as the time goes by nothing is new under the sun. Teens now and days have to go through so much pressure to live up to their parents, significant other, and lastly peers standards. It can be struggle to deal with these daily battles so in some situations teen suicide can potentially be the only option in their minds of course. Hamlet a young man is to be the sole heir to the throne, suddenly has his adolescence snatched from underneath him. Then to find that his uncle has taken the throne by marrying his mother, full of rage Hamlet finds himself conjuring up a plan to get his revenge for his father. Hamlet soon begins to slowly...
Words: 978 - Pages: 4
...In the past, women have been subject to the “cult of domesticity.” This ideal lasted for centuries and ensnared women within a value system created by society that defined what a woman’s role should be. The cult presented women with four cardinal virtues: piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness. In the ages when these ideals were held at a high standard, works of literature written during this time reflected the societal standard. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, various essays, and our culture also depict the cult of domesticity that still exists regardless of the success of the feminist movements throughout history and in present day; meanwhile, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is a great example of women who lived within the “cult...
Words: 1529 - Pages: 7
...In The Lion King, Minkoff and Allers present a clear difference between good and evil, whereas Shakespeare’s depiction of good and evil character in Hamlet is not so clear. The characters in The Lion King are categorised almost immediately in the orientation of the film, with the image of the characters giving the audience a clear picture of who the suspected betrayer is. However in the play Hamlet it’s a lot more difficult to label the characters as good or evil, the audience cannot be certain that Claudius is evil until the climax when he reacts to the play organised by Hamlet. There is a clear distinction between good and bad in The Lion King, this makes the audience highly suspect scar’s future betrayal of Mufasa and Simba. While in Hamlet we can never be sure about which characters to trust, as it’s difficult to ascertain whether Claudius is guilty for Hamlet’s (King) death because of his overly normal personality and lack in signs of guilt and worriedness. This indicates to the audience that Claudius is a calm and logical person, while it is then young Hamlet that is viewed to be untrustworthy due to his constant displays of madness. In The Lion King Scar is depleted as a skinny full grown adult male lion with a black mane, green eyes and a brown dark dirty fur complexion. Scars description connotes that he’s an unusual lion, most likely evil and unable to be trusted. Certain traits and events in The Lion King sets upon the audience that scar is evil, an example of...
Words: 991 - Pages: 4
...Response Paper: Hamlet Contrary to popular belief, ignorance is not, in any shape or form, ‘bliss’, however it is not restricting either. No one can truly live in a constant state of ignorance, because just as time heals all wounds, time also inflicts them. Sometimes not knowing is antagonizing than knowing. However, knowledge can place a person in a situation where they feel that they have no other option but to perform an act of some kind. In the Shakespearean play “Hamlet”, the main character’s, Prince Hamlet, revelations of the sins committed by his uncle, Claudius, adds to the tension that already existed between the two and is the catalyst to the tragic events that take place within the play. The grievances that Hamlet had against his Claudius, now his step-father and King, is the murder of his father, the theft of his crown and Claudius’ hasty marriage of his mother and queen, Gertrude. The main grievance Hamlet has with his uncle is the murder of his father, the king. Already grieving over death of his father, Hamlet discovers, by confession of his father, that Claudius murder him in order to become king. Called to action by his friend Horatio and the guards who have witness appearances of a ghost during their night watch, Hamlet goes to confront the ghost that looks like the late King Hamlet. A ghost doomed to walk the earth for an unspecified number of years to atone for the sins that he was not able to confess, King Hamlet Sr., tells the prince that he was murdered...
Words: 1079 - Pages: 5
