In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, there were many important characters just like Hamlet who show up in more than three-fourths of the play; but there are also characters that don’t necessarily show up as much but still have a strong role. One of the characters that didn’t get as much screen time but was still important was Ophelia. Ophelia was a sister, girlfriend, and daughter that so many people loved. Therefore, Despite the lack of presence of Ophelia, she ultimately played a big role in the lives of a lot of the characters. Throughout the play, Hamlet and Ophelia have a very strong love connection. They loved each other and wanted to eventually get married. Hamlet and Ophelia hit some bumps in the road in their relationship but they always secretly wanted to be together. In Act 1, Scene 3, It was hard for Ophelia to comprehend when Polonius told her that he thought Hamlet's love for her wasn’t real, but she didn’t know what to believe. When Hamlet could no longer see Ophelia he began to get mad a frustrated, to add on also that he was going crazy over his own father's death. Another time Ophelia was important in Hamlet's life was after not seeing Ophelia for a while Hamlet stumbles upon a grave site being dug in the middle of the woods, but at the time he doesn’t know who for. When Hamlet find out that Ophelia is the one that is being put to rest he starts to go crazy again. He says “I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers, if you added all their love together, couldn’t match mine. What are you going to do for her?” ( V, I, pg.12. lines 247-249). Hamlet is basically trying to say that even if they don’t believe him he really did love Ophelia. Gertrude responded by saying, “This is pure insanity. He’ll be like this for a little while” (V, I, pg. 12 lines 247-249). When Gertrude says this she basically means that he has gone crazy before that this is normal he will calm down soon. Therefor Ophelia played a huge role in Hamlet’s life without necessarily being there all of the time. Ophelia and Laertes also had a very important relationship as brother and sister. Although they didn’t get to see each other all of the time they both played a big role in each other’s lives. In Act
Hamlet and Ophelia are in love but are not allowed to be together for Ophelia’s father and brother Laertes feel as though Hamlet’s intentions are not true and that she will not be married to him for he can not pick to whom he shall marry. This creates conflict between them and Hamlet uses it as fuel to manifest his illusion. He is rude, ignorant and chaste to Ophelia and tells her to go to a nunnery and commit herself to the lord (Act 2, scene 5). He drives away those he loves for they are not acknowledging his father’s death as he would desire and have moved on with their lives. This deepens his thirst to prove Claudius 's guilt and give him
Hamlet has been treating Ophelia very poorly throughout the play even though we get the impression that they love each other before we see they meet. The idea behind it is that Hamlet does not know how to take his anger out about all the things he sees and hears so he could be taking it out on someone much
Ophelia was born in a time where women were viewed as personal property to men. They grew up being taught to knit and to make quilts, to serve their man, but never to read, or write. But with Ophelia not having a mother to teach and to guide her on what to do and how to handle the men of her time; Her judgement was a little off when it comes to knowing if someone was being authentic. So the question is, did Hamlet actually really love her? With his actions and words, was Ophelia simply living off hope or was what he said true? The argument can be debated that he doesn’t, but his actions when they are alone says otherwise.
Deep down Hamlet always loved Ophelia even though he said crude things to her. His actions throughout the play could be seen as hateful but he is just trying to protect her from getting involved in the corruption of the King and his revenge plan. Hamlet is trying to outsmart everyone and by showing that he doesn’t love Ophelia it’s just another way to throw everyone off. We see these actions through his speech and the context of how and when he speaks to her.
In the play “Hamlet’ by William Shakespeare a young prince falls in love with a girl named Ophelia. She is not of royalty like he is. Their love is kept a secret but when you truly love someone what is there to hide. When true love is present it becomes inseparable the couple don’t care whether the parent are against it or with it. The only thing they care about is there partner so this bring up the question does hamlet really love Ophelia? I believe that in the play hamlet so many reason as to why he loves Ophelia.
Ophelia is an attractive and amiable young girl who, after being deeply insulted by Hamlet, feeling as though she cannot live up to her family’s expectations, and her father’s death, drowns herself in the river. Prince Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude of Denmark, is a cowardly woman who acts out of self-preservation and is easily tempted by her reliance on receiving affection.
The last proof I give to the fact that Hamlet does and has always loved Ophelia is when she dies, he says: “I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum”. (5.1
At the beginning of the play, the audience is introduced to the couple Hamlet and Ophelia. At the start, Hamlet and Ophelia are young and in love with a bright future ahead of them. Hamlet is a prince who will eventually rule Denmark. Provided that Ophelia is his bride, her family will become of the most noble in the country. In the first act of the play, Hamlet is depressed due to the loss of his father. During this trying time, when Hamlet needs Ophelia the most, her father, Polonius, steps in and orders Ophelia to no longer see Hamlet. Polonius believes that hamlet is leading Ophelia on. Daniel Shapiro explains, “Ophelia, wittingly or not, is part of the conspiracy. Hamlet, like his father, has been betrayed by the woman he loves” (Shapiro 1).
It is clear in this story that Hamlet and Ophelia were the main cause of each other's problems. Yes,Hamlet was upset about what happened to his father but he had to of been hurt by the fact that he had to ignore their love for each other for his plan to kill his uncle. There is no doubt that Ophelia was hurt. I believe that he really did love her he was just doing what he felt which was revenge because he was hurt. Ophelia committed suicide and to prove his love to her was too late. (
I like what you had to say about Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship. Up until Act 3, scene 1, Shakespeare doesn’t give us any interaction between the young couple. The audience merely receives secondhand accounts about their budding romance. Ophelia’s brother Laertes believes that “for Hamlet and the trifling of his favor, hold it a fashion and a toy in blood, a violet in the youth of primy nature, forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting, the perfume and suppliance of a minute. No more” (I, iii, 5-10). Laertes and his father Polonius believe that Hamlet has feelings for Ophelia now but as he belongs to the royal family, he has obligations to his family and to his country that he can’t turn his back on. They warn her to watch her back and don’t believe that Hamlet’s love is anything more than just lust. Ophelia is torn because she tells her father that Hamlet has offered her a lot of
He becomes very depressed, and we see immediately see that the author portrays Hamlet in a different mood, allowing us to see that his father’s death really affected him, his state of mind, and his being as a person. Later on in the story, Hamlet gets to know Ophelia, Laertes sister. He advises her against falling in love with Hamlet, as he’s very old and only wants her for her looks and beauty, which she agrees to keep advice on. Later, Polonius asks about her love with Hamlet, which she discards and agrees to stay away from the love he claims to have for her. Although we may not know for a fact that Hamlet was being completely truthful when confessing his love for Ophelia, we do see that in the play it says, “...Forty thousand brothers / Could not, with all their quantity of love / Make up my sum...” (5.1.254-256). This line from Hamlet shows us his love for Ophelia, although he might’ve just said this to say it. We see that his love for Ophelia might be real, but later in the play he goes crazy, driving her out of his life and eventually to death. His background and psychological state after his father’s death as well with all of the major events that occurred in his life following his father’s death led him to drive her out of his life, making it unsuccessful for him to have a love story of his own. At the end of the play, they all die, and we see no more of Hamlet’s royal family
The Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare is a true tragedy of the century that will be remembered by all the people. The author of the play tended to focus on revenge, humanity and death in most of his plays. The Hamlet is a story of revenge, accusation, and love. The love author describes can be in very different and variety of forms but on the other hand, there’s pure love that every girl dreams of. In the play, Hamlet declares in the funeral of Ophelia that he was in love with her but was he truly in love with her? When Ophelia has gone mad, why didn’t Hamlet stayed by her side to at least apologize for his action that he accidently killed her father? What if Hamlet was never in love with her from the beginning or he was using her as
In the world of Williams Shakespeare, there have been plenty of stories and plays of love tragedies. Among these love tragedies is the story of Hamlet. Hamlet revolves around love and madness. In the play, madness did over power love, especially between Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship. In the play, there have been many questions about whether Hamlet did love Ophelia. There’s evidence arguing Hamlet never loved Ophelia by the way he acts towards her throughout the play but by the way he acts around Ophelia when he was alone with her, he really did love her. When Hamlet finds out that Polonius and Claudius are using Ophelia to spy on him, Hamlet uses bitter and harsh language towards Ophelia, but he goes overboard. For Hamlet, Ophelia’s death was painful because he never got the chance to express his love for her. However, anybody can argue that he was trying to throw people off, and he didn’t love Ophelia
In this play, Hamlet is shown with Ophelia. His attitude toward this woman is constantly changing. It is hard to tell if Hamlet has love for Ophelia or if she is used as a scapegoat to disguise his madness. Hamlet has internal conflict because of his feelings for Ophelia. In one point in the play, Hamlet will be extremely mean to her, but later on, he will admit his love for her. In act 3, scene 1, Hamlet precedes to tell Ophelia, “I did love you once”, Ophelia then replies with, “Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so”, Hamlet then tells Ophelia “I loved you not”
In this Scene, true madness comes into play. Once Ophelia meets Hamlet and speaks with him Hamlet realizes that his mother and stepfather are aware of this love and might use this to end his revenge. Hamlet must end their thoughts of using Ophelia to rid him of his condition. To do this he must destroy all the current feelings Ophelia has for him and he does so very well, perhaps too well. As the story grows deeper, Hamlet shows us that he really did love Ophelia when Hamlet tells Ophelia that “I did love you once” (3. 1. 117).