Nunneries call to mind a life of chastity and spirituality fueled by solitude. By condemning Ophelia to a nunnery in the first act of Scene III, Hamlet is taking from her the opportunity to marry anyone but Christ and the ability to have earthly children. However, had she been removed to a nunnery, Ophelia might have finally found herself free. In a nunnery she would have had no one to serve but Christ and her church; the desires of men cannot be forced upon those whom they cannot reach. But inversely, her insidious feminine wiles would have difficultly wielding her “wantonness” as a weapon against men.
Despite being, arguably, one of the main characters in Hamlet, Ophelia has the unique distinction of being one of the least developed. However, this is far from an accident, as Ophelia was created not to act as an independent force but to further the agendas of the more “well-rounded” men around her. An important thing to note is that in Act III, Scene I is the first in which Ophelia appears to act in even a slightly autonomous way. Her displays of emotion against the harsh words that Hamlet berates her with are the first hint to the true characterization of the girl as she has so far served no purpose than to act as a vessel for Laertes and Polonius to achieve a means for their end. In “Gender and Identity in Hamlet: A Modern Interpretation of Ophelia” written by Heather Brown for The Myriad, Westminster College’s undergraduate academic journal, Brown asserts this claim, stating “[a]side from the male characters using Ophelia as a "looking glass"—casting their reflection upon her, showing themselves and the audience their power over her—Ophelia serves no purpose in the play” (Brown).
The “looking glass” of which she speaks is a ...
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Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Shakespeare-Online. Shakespeare's Hamlet Act 3 Scene 1 - Hamlet Confronts Ophelia (Get Thee to a Nunnery). 27 Dec. 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.
Woolf, Virginia. "Chapter Two." A Room of One's Own. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Adelaide University. Adelaide University Australia, 9 Feb. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. .
Pennington, Michael. "Ophelia: Madness Her Only Safe Haven." Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of "Hamlet": A User's Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996.
Since everyone is unaware of Hamlet’s true feelings of his mother’s new marriage and knowledge of Claudius poisoning his father, Polonius convinces Claudius and Gertrude that Hamlet is driven mad by love for Ophelia. So once again, Ophelia follows the orders of her father and the king to meet with Hamlet in a place where they can test this theory and watch the two young lovers in secret. Maki then quotes a scholar, “ ‘Polonius [and Claudius] snoop behind the arras, and she becomes the bait to catch the conscience of the Prince’ (Hunt 15)”, this sets up the scene that Polonius and Claudius quickly learn that a lot of Hamlet’s nonsense does in fact have truth and meaning. An example of this is when he crushes any of Ophelia’s hope of Hamlet still loving her with this reply, “If thou dost marry, I’ll give thee this plague for thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery” (3.1.135-37). This is the second time that Ophelia is told she will have no value if she has any pre-marital sexual relations and during the time period of Hamlet, a woman who does not follow tradition could potentially be ostracised by her family and remain a maiden the rest of their life. So in the end, Maki draws the conclusion that, “Hamlet then rejects
While Ophelia crumbles under depression, taking her own life, Hamlet overcomes his troubled mind and faces reality. “Oh that this too too solid flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the everlasting had not fixed his canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God!” (Ham. 1. 2. 129-32). Where Ophelia turns her feelings of anger inward, Hamlet turns his anger outward, lashing out at others. “There are overtones here of the slang meaning of “nunnery” as “whorehouse,” but primarily Hamlet consigns Ophelia to a life of pious chastity. Yet in effect, he is murdering Ophelia, and starting her on the path to suicide” (Bloom 41).
Not only does the scene, "Get thee to a nunnery," show how Hamlet feels about Ophelia, but it also shows how Hamlet feels about marriage and women. Hamlet tells Ophelia to go to the convent because she should not want to be a "breeder of sinners" and because there should be no more marriage. Hamlet does not want anymore marriage because that would mean more children and according to Hamlet the only children born to marriage are sinners.
In Act I Scene IV, Ophelia starts to talk to her father about the growing relationship between herself and Hamlet. Although she believes it is real, her father does not think so since he is a prince and tells her she is not allowed to see him anymore. She is unable to express herself or her feelings for others if it does not follow her father’s standards. In Act III Scene I, after Hamlet started becoming distracted and no one knew what was wrong with him, Ophelia was sent to find out information from him. No matter how much she loves Hamlet she will betray him to follow her father’s orders. In Act III Scene II, there is a play put on for the royal family and guests. Hamlet teases her and asks her if he should lay in her lap and then continues to tell her to go to a nunnery she cannot do anything about it. The only way she can keep her reputation and her father’s honor intact is by ignoring it and acting like it means nothing to
Culturally, women have been expected to be soft spoken, gentle, delicate flowers. They should not question a man's opinion or go against their will. Ophelia, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is an example of a young naive girl who faces the dangers that come from only following what others want, and not thinking for herself. The men in this play use her for their own benefit and she suffers the repercussions, which leads her to madness and “accidental” death.
Ophelia’s madness represents the evilness of the society we live in. It shows the madness and darker side of the world, and the people who live in it.
However, the way Hamlet treats Ophelias contributes to her insanity and is arguably the most recognizable cause of her misfortune “Get thee to a nunnery,/... Or, if thou wilt needs marry,/ marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what/ monsters you make of them” (Hamlet: III.i.138). Hamlet telling Ophelia to go to a nunnery is clearly an awful and cruel thing to say to someone he loves. This event proves Hamlet’s actual insanity.
Hamlet shows much anger and disrespect to the women in his life. Ophelia’s believing her father’s words breaks Hamlets heart, being the reason for his treatment towards not just her but his mother. Ophelia
Hamlet has the disillusion that women are frail after his mother’s rushed remarriage as shown by “Frailty, thy name is woman!” He also believes women do not have the power to reason. (“O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason.”) Ophelia has the power to change his view but her unexplained rejection of him only adds to Hamlet’s disillusion. The ghost’s revelation that Gertrude dishonored Hamlet’s father but also their marriage by the adultery with Claudius is contemplated by Hamlet until he goes into Ophelia’s room to look upon her. As Hamlet searches Ophelia’s face for some sign that might restore his faith in her, he instead believes her face shows guilt and thinks she is another false Gertrude.
When her father had challenged the honor of Hamlet 's desires, Ophelia could only reply "I do not know, my lord, what I should think". Used to relying upon her father 's direction and
In the play Hamlet Ophelia is portrayed as an innocent young woman who does not have a say in anything. All the men control Hamlet, her father Polonius, and her brother Laertes. She is portrayed as inferior to all of them and lets herself be pushed around by them. She is unable to convey her opinions or emotions throughout the play. The men dominate her thoughts and behaviors. In Hamlet, Ophelia’s obedience to her father and brother, along with her dismissal by Hamlet, reveals that women were not allowed to assert their opinions, emotions, or desires in a courtly setting.
It is evident that Hamlet defines Ophelia by her sexuality. Hamlet does not value her as the woman she is. Instead, Hamlet views her as a mere object. Hamlet makes various sexual innuendos towards Ophelia. For example, this is apparent in 2.3, when Hamlet is speaking to Ophelia. Hamlet says, “It would cost you a groaning to take off mine edge” (3.2.250). Hamlet is making this regard to her in public and Ophelia lets him continue. Ophelia because of her gender continues to let Hamlet exploit and oppress her. Ophelia embodies a mutual assessment of femininity. Author Pragati Das writes, “Ophelia, it would seem, wholly at the mercy of the male figures throughout her life, is certainly a victim character” (Das 38). Ophelia does not have any alternative thoughts; she only responds with a simple sentence, “Still better and worse” (3.2.251). Ophelia is not standing up for herself, instead of she “…expresses acquiescence, uncertainty, and obeisance; she utters half lines” (Fischer 2). The power of Hamlet is manipulating Ophelia and it this shown through from her dull reaction of such crudities. Hamlet sums his vulgar and suggestive speech with, “For, oh, for, oh, the hobby-horse is forgot” (3.2.23–24). After Hamlet’s pressures of sexual suggestions, Ophelia is found to be under the absolute dominance of Hamlet’s demands, and as a result, her sanity diminishes. Ophelia’s song reflects on Hamlet, her father, and life
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia is the most static character in the play. Instead of changing through the course of the play, she remains suffering in the misfortunes perpetrated upon her. She falls into insanity and dies a tragic death. Ophelia has issues surviving without a male influence, and her downfall is when all the men in her life abandon her. Hamlet’s Ophelia, is a tragic, insane character that cannot exist on her own.
Ophelia’s betrayal ends up putting Hamlet over the edge, motivating him in his quest for revenge. Ophelia is one of the two women in the play. As the daughter of Polonius, she only speaks in the company of several men, or directly to her brother or father. Since we never see her interactions with women, she suppresses her own thoughts in order to please her superiors. Yet, however weak and dependent her character is on the surface, Ophelia is a cornerstone to the play’s progression.