The Character Of Ophelia In William Shakespeares Play Hamlet Plays A

The character of Ophelia in William Shakespeare's play hamlet plays a very interesting and important role in the elaboration of the plot. In the beginning, she is in a healthy state of mind, in love with her boy friend Hamlet, yet controlled by her father in regard to their relationship. During the play she encounters several troubling experiences involving hamlet which cause her to become distressed and confused. In act III scene 4 after the death of her father leaves Ophelia mentally unstable and in a state of madness that eventually leads her to take her own life. Ophelia and Hamlet share a common connection: the loss of a parent. Hamlet loses his father as a result of a horrible murder, as does Ophelia. In her situation is more severe because it is her lover who murders her father and all of her hopes for her future as well. Ultimately, it is also more detrimental to her character and causes her melancholy and grief to quickly turn to irretrievable madness. One incident in the play which helps in the course of Ophelia's madness. When hamlet receives the letter from Ophelia he is affected terribly by her words. The next time she is surprised and even bit frightened by his behavior. This is placing stress and mental toll on Ophelia. "Denied the opportunity for healthy psychic maturation, Ophelia appears never to have been allowed to develop a discrete sense of self apart from those others (father and brother, and later hamlet) who fashioned her identity to suit their needs"(internet web.english). He did not look like he usually does, and he acted very strange towards her. He held her by the wrist and stared deeply into her face, long and hard, then storms out, leaving her intensely troubled and saddened. After that she tells her father, and he believes that Ophelia's love is what made him mad. "that hath made him made" (II.i.110). Polonius then goes to the King and Queen to make him aware of hamlet's strange behavior and plains to spy on hamlet to prove he's gone mad. Ophelia now is left feeling guilty. "He obviously loved her but mistreated her so the people in hamlets life would not think of him getting revenge but that he was crazy over Ophelia" (Internet starbuck). When she sees Hamlet later she tries to speak with him, but is rejected coldly. He does not listen to and screams harsh words leaving her feeling worthless and embarrassed. "...I love you not." (III.i.119). "Get thee to a nunnery." (III.i.121)"...you jig, you amble, and lisp, and nickname God's creatures, and m ake you wantonness you ignorance. Go to, I'll no more on't" (III.i.146-48). This causes Ophelia to become slightly disturbed. She sits weeping while her father and the king practically step on her frail body to find out more reasons for hamlet's actions. In this state of mind all she can say is "woe O is me, to have seen what I haven seen, what I see!"(III.i.163-64). So, because of Hamlet's rudeness and rejection through this part of the play, Ophelia is driven even more closer to insanity. Ophelia is very beautiful to the eye and is admired by all. Ophelia's and hamlets love for each other in the beginning was very promising. Following the death of his father hamlet falls in love with her, and is much controlled by her father. And her father being Polonius, the advisor to the king Claudius, a very respectable position. Polonius demands that she speak with hamlet at once to say that he can no longer be with him and he tells b to give words or talk with the lord hamlet. Look to't I charge you. Come your ways."(I.iii.132-35) She feels very unimportant and helpless now, and because of this develops a lack of emotional confidence and strength. This would be the beginning of the fall out of Ophelia's mental sanity. A key role of Ophelia character is her irretrievable loss of a love object her only parent is dead and the man she loves is not only disliked by her father and brother but kills Polonius her father. Which prompts her ludicrous behavior. "Ophelia...a lyric hysteria of a fragile, overly-sensitive girl" (internet web.English). Ophelia died from from