Foils in Shakespeare's Hamlet

Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is considered one of his four great tragedies. This play not only uses unearthly characters to instill fear, but it also uses foil characters to show the possible outcomes for the protagonist, Hamlet, himself. The crucial contrast Shakespeare creates between “what is” and “what seems to be” causes Hamlet, along with many other characters, to act in order to create the outcome they 9-want. However, no matter their attempts the play still ends with an inescapable tragedy for all of the characters.

West’s interpretation of Ophelia’s character is not a consensus feeling among critics, so her innocence is challenged but not overturned. Beginning now with the play, the reader/viewer sees that the protagonist of the tragedy, Prince Hamlet, initially appears dressed in solemn black. He is mourning the death of his father, supposedly by snakebite, while he was away at Wittenberg as a student. Hamlet laments the hasty remarriage of his mother to his father’s brother, an incestuous act; thus in his first soliloquy he cries out, “Frailty, thy name is woman!” Ophelia enters the play with her brother Laertes, who, in parting for school, bids her farewell and gives her advice regarding her relationship with Hamlet. Op...

The story of Hamlet is a morbid tale of tragedy, commitment, and manipulation; this is especially evident within the character of Ophelia. Throughout the play, Ophelia is torn between obeying and following the different commitments that she has to men in her life. She is constantly torn between the choice of obeying the decisions and wishes of her family or that of Hamlet. She is a constant subject of manipulation and brain washing from both her father and brother. Ophelia is not only subject to the torture of others using her for their intentions but she is also susceptible to abuse from Hamlet. Both her father and her brother believe that Hamlet is using her to achieve his own personal goals.

1. In the play "Hamlet" [Title] . [sic] I will be explaining the use of foils in the play. The four foils I will be using are between: [no :] the ghost and Hamlet, Claudius and Hamlet, Laertes and Gertrude and finally Laertes and Hamlet. [As noted in class, foils are characters, not "between" characters.]

Ophelia, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, represents a self-confident and aware female character. She analyzes the world around her and recognizes the multitude of male figures attempting to control her life. Her actions display not only this awareness, but also maturity in her non-confrontational discussions. Though she is demeaned by Laertes, Polonius, and Hamlet, Ophelia exhibits intelligence and independence and ultimately resorts to suicide in order to free herself from the power of the men around her.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is filled with juxtapositions. All of the characters have foils and are juxtaposed not only against other characters, but also to themselves through their soliloquies. The themes are also juxtaposed against each other to give greater meaning to them and to introduce another theme, the theme of contrast.

In Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, the audience finds a docile, manipulated, scolded, victimized young lady named Ophelia. Ophelia is a foil to Hamlet. Plays have foils to help the audience better understand the more important characters in the play.  The character of Ophelia is necessary so that the audience will give Hamlet a chance to get over his madness and follow his heart.

However, as Hamlet endures a higher amount of grief, he goes through several difficult situations, is more prone to be mislead, and withstands the unsympathetic thoughts about him, he is more successful at eliciting pathos in comparison with Ophelia. To start with, this ghostly figure, which appears as his dead King Hamlet, tricks Hamlet to walk into his death, whereas Ophelia makes Hamlet seem more of an insane individual, than he is. Simultaneously, as Hamlet’s relative and family believe his condition is getting out of hands, they plan several plans to execute him, leaving him with more agony. Consequently, as Hamlet learns about these plans of his family, he is no longer thought to be a generous person, but more of a choleric character. In addition, Hamlet’s family usually associates him with negative thoughts, while Ophelia no longer lives to hear about the awful sayings about her. Despite the situation throughout society, one should never compare herself or himself to another individual, for it will only undermines his or her education, worth, and

2. Similarities are an important part of being a foil. One similarity that Hamlet and Ophelia share are that they both are children of controlling parents. [SV - 1] Hamlet's father, who is murdered[,] comes back as a ghost to tell him who his murderer is. This news is his father's way of controlling him from the grave. Hamlet's mother and stepfather are also controlling him by presuading [persuading] Hamlet not to go to Wittenburg. Men in those days went away to get an education. There was no need for Hamlet to do so because he was a prince. [As a Prince, he might have been even more likely to go abroad for his education.] Ophelia is controlled by her father also. She tells him how Hamlet has tried many times to express his affections for her. Ophelia's father does not believe Hamlet is sincere and orders her to stay away from him. Ophelia obeys her father[']s wishes. Women were expected to do as they were told and believed what they were told to be true.

Hamlet's relationship and actions towards Ophelia are not exempt from his dual personalities. In private, he is deeply devoted to her; but in public, he humiliates and belittles her...