How Does Shakespeare Use Ophelia's Treatment Of Mental Illness In Hamlet

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Great authors can develop the same idea in different ways. Shakespeare introduces the characters of Hamlet and Ophelia to mental illness throughout “Hamlet”. Hamlet a Depressed, Monomaniac, Psychopath runs off of the vengeance of his father without fail. Ophelia a hysterical depressed victim cannot function without the support of her father and lover. Shakespeare uses metaphors, gender, tone, and word choice to develop the progression of Mental illness in his characters throughout “Hamlet”.
Shakespeare uses metaphors and tone to stress the development of mental illness in the character Hamlet throughout “Hamlet”. Mental illness defines as a conditions that affect mood, thinking, or behavior. Hamlet represents a character affected by mental …show more content…

Ophelia’s mental illness comes to fruition later in the play, but comes in a very strong form, Hysteria. Hysteria, as defined in Shakespearean times, by a sickness of the womb. This diagnosis was given to females and usually occurred after some form of psychological abuse. Ophelia’s symptoms point to a diagnosis of hysteria over the death of her father Polonius. Furthermore, according to “Mental illness in Shakespeare case study #2” Ophelia is incapable of individuation, or the separation of one's self from others. Her lack of individual self-causes her to become dependent on others, such as Hamlet and Polonius. With Hamlet's abandonment and the death of her father, Ophelia spirals into madness. Shakespeare uses Ophelia's gender to create her mental illness by shaping her mental illness around the diagnosis of a woman. The establishment of Ophelia's Mental illness allows Shakespeare to further develop it through the tone of which she speaks. Ophelia begins to sing songs after the death of her father that other characters interpret as her mourning. However, in delving into the songs Ophelia sings her madness becomes apparent. The first song Ophelia sings refers to her marital status. Ophelia “ by gis and by saint charity alack and fie for shame young men will do’t if they come to’t by cock they are to blame quoth she before you tumbled me you promised me to wed” (IV, v 57-62). Ophelia refers to Hamlet and her father in this song, she addresses her father's wishes that she keeps her virginity and keep it for the sanctity of marriage; furthermore, she refers to Hamlet who promised to wed her, however, Hamlet leaves her and claims he never loved her. Ophelia's obsession with the most important men in her life, even after they leave her reflects her dependency on man. This dependence further drives her mental illness after the loss of

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