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psychological aspect of hamlet
psychological aspect of hamlet
hamlet talking about suicide
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Many people have read Hamlet, and may or may not have been confused about two specific character’s affection for one another. Many questions are asked as to whether or not Hamlet truly loves Ophelia. Not only do people wonder if he ever loved her, but they wonder what has caused Hamlet’s actions towards her. Another question that was raised was whether or not Hamlet was responsible for Ophelia’s suicide. William Shakespeare does a great job at hiding Hamlet’s love for Ophelia, but there is evidence that shows how he truly does love her.
Within the first act of the play, Ophelia and her father, Polonius, talk about Hamlet and Ophelia’s alone time together. Ophelia tells Polonius how Hamlet has been a gentleman. Polonius goes on to say how passion will drive boys to tell girls anything to have sex with them. After, Polonius tells Ophelia she may no longer see Hamlet, and Ophelia agrees to obey her father. In the second act of the play, Ophelia comes to her father frightened because of Hamlet’s actions towards her. Ophelia says
“My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced,
No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled,
Ungartered, and down-gyved to his ankle;
Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other,
And with a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosed out of hell
To speak of horrors, he comes before me” (2.1.87-94).
In modern day English, this means that Hamlet came into Ophelia’s bedroom with his clothes messed up, no hat on, his socks were hanging low, and his knees were knocking. Ophelia also said, Lord Hamlet had a look on his face as if he was let out of hell. Hamlet’s actions leave Ophelia wondering what caused him to act this way. Once Polonius heard of Lord Hamlet...
... middle of paper ...
...that Hamlet has put her under so much stress, she didn’t mind dying. All in all, Hamlet is responsible for Ophelia’s death because he was the one who killed her father and put her through so much stress.
Many questions were asked towards the affection between Hamlet and Ophelia. Questions like, did Hamlet really love Ophelia, what caused Hamlet to act in such a way, and was Hamlet responsible for Ophelia’s death. After reading the play, one will come to conclusion that Hamlet did love Ophelia dearly and only acted in such a way because of his plan for revenge. Hamlet was also responsible for Ophelia’s death because of her father’s death and the way he acted towards her.
Works Cited
“Hamlet.” SparkNotes. SparkNotes LLC, 2013. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Paul Moliken. Clayton: Pretwick House Literary Touchstone
Classics, 2005. Print.
Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” is full of intrigue. Is there really a ghost? Does Hamlet truly go mad? And where in the world did the pirates come from? Yet, even with all these questions, the most compelling is whether Hamlet truly loves Ophelia. One of the most iconic romantic relationship ever to be penned, and the love is still questionable. Does he really love her? Before the argument can be continued, the definition of romantic love which is used throughout must first be defined. It is a simple beauty— Love is caring for someone more than yourself. If held to this standard, Hamlet does not truly love Ophelia by the end of the play, though he may have loved her a some point. By the end of the play, where once existed some form of love for
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Hamlet, Ophelia’s lover, accidentally kills her father and “confesses” he never loved her, Hamlet toys with Ophelia's emotions intentionally and unintentionally to solidify his madness. Even though she was the who initiated the “breakup”, her sorrows of the relationship are much more public than Hamlets. Hamlet’s madness scares Ophelia away which he used as a defense mechanism to not be hurt anymore. His madness looks as though he had been "loosed out of hell to speak of horrors" (2.1.83-84) and she "truly [did] fear it"(2.1. 86). His insanity and rudeness suffocated any love she had for him. She admits that their "their perfume [has been] lost" (3.1. 99). This helped Hamlet solidify his insanity by cutting ties with the ones he loves, and having them tell others he is mad. This comes with the cost of discontinuing his relationships: especially with Ophelia. Both have hinted around in the text of an intimate affair. This makes the emotions and breakup even more difficult for both of them. Their relationship was a love, not an innocent crush or courtship. Poor Ophelia initially thought she caused Hamlet's madness due to the abrupt ending of their affair. But because of her naivety, she lacks to see his other internal struggles. Ophelia’s trust in Hamlet left her heartbroken. Hamlet’s agenda of or getting justice for his father occupied his mind more than Ophelia did. Which left her feeling
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In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia is complex, leaving many to wonder if Hamlet did indeed love her. Throughout the play, as Hamlet sets out to avenge the murder of his father, his character’s love for Ophelia is questioned; sometimes casting doubt to Hamlet’s sincerity of love for Ophelia. However, the words and actions of both Hamlet and Ophelia are evidence and proof that his love for her is genuine.