Characters In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ophelia, And Claudius

Gertrude’s trust is betrayed by Claudius at that moment because Gertrude believes that Claudius loves Hamlet, when in fact, he despises him and wishes death upon him. Claudius is not the only character that betrays in the play Hamlet. Hamlets makes Ophelia believe that he loves her for a long time, until one day he tells her things that break her heart. Because Hamlet suspects that someone is listening to his conversation with Ophelia, he acts like a mad man and says cruel things to Ophelia. “Virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it.

Her husband, the person who vowed to be with her the rest of her life, talks to her like she is not worth anything. Along with the Renaissance time periods beliefs, Iago displays inadequate ho... ... middle of paper ... ...r husbands. Although a minor character in William Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello, Emilia exists as a vital component to revealing his views on women being obsequious to their husbands and his negative connotation on marriage. Emilia’s decision to remain silent drives the play and in the end causes it to turn tragic with multiple deaths. Desdemona and Emilia can be perceived as a foil to each other because of their different beliefs for women’s roles in marriage.

The character of Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet presents the reader with a sense of sympathy and pity. While trying to fulfill the role of Polonius’s daughter, Laertes’s sister, and Hamlet’s lover, Ophelia’s character experiences a whirlwind of emotional pain. In efforts to please everyone, Ophelia absentmindedly follows all orders given to her disregarding her own beliefs and values. Her role in Hamlet is one of submissive dependence on the men in her life. Her sanity is put to the test throughout the play as Polonius tries to protect her, and Laertes and Hamlet attempt to seek revenge.

His faith in women was shattered by his mother's marriage and it is also possible that Hamlet knows that Ophelia has been ordered to seek him out- yet how strong could their love have been as there is little excuse for the cruelty and the coarseness of his remarks: 'Get thee to a nunnery- why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? '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. (Act 3 Scene 1). The main question of the play is does the barrier built by Ophelia to keep away Hamlet have any part to play in his 'madness', for, if it does, it is also the greatest tragedy of the play. How can something so small in the grandeur of the play be the heart of the tragedy one might ask?

Hamlet is cruel to the extreme to all those who he feels are treacherous, not just to the women in his life. Hamlet expects his mother Gertrude to mourn for King Hamlet in the same way as he does, in "trappings and the suits of woe" (Hamlet, I, ii, 89). Instead, she marries Claudius shortly after the sudden death. Hamlet cannot understand how she could disrespect his father, especially since she so doted upon the King in life. He exclaims, "O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason / Would have mourned longer!"

This shows Lady Macbeth’s superiority over her husband. “would be” indirectly indicates that he is a wimp and a coward and that if he does not kill the kin... ... middle of paper ... ...To conclude it can be said that Shakespeare has crafted Macbeth into attracting sympathy. If all the sins that Macbeth committed were just told to a person then it leaves the reader no choice but to consider him evil and immoral; yet when the book is fully read the audience understands his mental anguish, a feeling of sympathy is aroused. Macbeth was a victim of his own power and ambition. He breaks down mentally losing power of himself, becoming very paranoid.

The writer of this tragic play; William Shakespeare leaves the audience to conclude whether Hamlet is just putting on an act of antic disposition or not just truly mad. Throughout the play Hamlet’s madness is question and explored through his actions of real madness, feigned madness and the reactions and opinions others have towards his madness. For instance, Hamlet’s madness can be viewed as acts of feigned antic disposition. For examples in the exchange of words that Hamlet had with Polonius he is extremely sarcastic. In one in particular Hamlet goes on to ridicule Polonius while taking advantage of his antic disposition.

She sleeps with Claudius because she is the type of woman to take whatever comes her way, which also is a tendency of those who have weak minds. Gertrude also doesn’t know who she should take direction fro... ... middle of paper ... ... World of His Own, Philip Goldstein says, “Hamlet is unable to rouse himself to act despite his desire to revenge his father’s murder.”(73 Goldstein). Although there could be many logical reasons for Hamlet’s behavior and thought habits, I believe that Gertrude has a heavy influence over Hamlet in his decision-making process. And so now we can understand that Hamlet follows his mother's poor example of how to react to situations and why he does so. Children watch their parents’ or role models- and often, whether they intend to or not, inherit their habits.

Ophelia’s repressed desires never allow her to find her essence. Instead, she loses her integrity once she obeys Polonius and Laertes who emotionally and mentally repress her. In the play, Ophelia is warned by Laertes of Hamlet and later told by Polonius that she cannot be with Hamlet because he thinks the cause of his madness is their love and “From this time / be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence. / Set your entreatments at a higher rate / than a command to parley.” Act 1, sc 3 She has to give less time for him and she replies to her father "I shall obey, my lord" Act 1, sc 3, she remains as an obedient daughter although it risks her own selfhood and the chance to genuinely express herself. Her inability to display either her emotional or sexual desires for Hamlet causes her to be hysterical and be in a melancholic state.

It is evident that Hamlet's disrespect towards women, manipulative action, and lack of decisive action cause an even more rotten and corrupt Denmark. Women and love play a strong and important role in the play Hamlet. Shakespeare created the main character Hamlet to hide his true emotions by directing them toward the women in his life. Hamlet lies and manipulates Ophelia into thinking that she has broken his heart by not loving him back and leads the other characters in the play to think the same. Hamlets writes a letter to Ophelia, “O dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers.