Analysis: Two Worlds One Madness

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Recommended: Hamlet's emotions

Katharine Harer
Mr. Henson
ENGL 1020 AO5
20 April 2015
Two Worlds, One Madness
Torn between two worlds, Ophelia struggles to choose between the two. There are so many impossible obstacles that stand in her way, without a way through any of them. Her heart craves the love she feels for Hamlet, who does not return the love to her. Hamlet is a deceitful lover. Hamlet is believed by Polonius and Laertes to be just getting what he can from this young, naïve girl. To her father and brother, Ophelia is a future mother and valuable wife, given impossible expectations. This causes her to be deceitful, maddening Hamlet because she put her sense of love and duty for another man above her sense of love and duty for him (Maki).This causes Hamlet to believe that deceit is the true character of a woman, especially Ophelia. Ophelia is broken hearted. She learns later on that her father was murdered by the one she loves. This incident was just enough to shove …show more content…

She depended on Polonius and Laertes too much, to control her thoughts and every move. In the end, everything was taken away from her and she had nothing left but herself. Hamlet committed murder of her father and her father was gone. Although her love for Hamlet was real, she died not knowing that Hamlet really did love her. “I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum. What wilt thou do for her?” (V, 1, 247-249). She fights a constant battle of wanting to please her father and brother and battling her strong love she feels towards Hamlet. Being forbidden from pursing a relationship with Hamlet just makes Ophelia’s life a lot more complicated. Her expectations are nearly impossible and the men in her life are constantly asking too much from her. With so many conflicts and so much confusion, Ophelia goes mad. Ophelia needed help but no one could help her. Not even

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