Help Ophelia

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Recommended: Hamlet essay on Ophelia's death

William Shakespeare wrote ten tragedies in his lifetime. Once referred to as “Nature’s Poet” by Samuel Johnson, Shakespeare uses Nature to kill off Ophelia, one of the characters in the tragic play Hamlet. There is large debate, both in and out of the play, about if her death was accidental or purposeful. Either way, close investigation of the play has determined that Ophelia could live, if only she has help. Ophelia has been driven to madness from the loss of her father and her lover. Without her two largest sources of care, she starves for help, love, and affection, thus affecting her mind. Polonius, her father, warns that “This is the very ecstasy of love,/ Whose violent property fordoes itself/ And leads the will to desperate undertaking” (2,1,102-104). He is warning is daughter that love is a dangerous emotion which can drive a person insane from withdrawal. Help came to Ophelia until she began unknowingly spreading rumors. While doing this, she insults the King and Queen in front of their faces when she graciously bestows flowers that carry secrets: There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you love, remember. And there is pansies, that’s for thoughts. . . There’s fennel for you, and Columbines. – There’s rue for you, and here’s some for me. We may Call it “herb of grace” o’ Sunday! – Oh you must wear your rue with a Difference. (4,5,150-155). Ophelia gives rosemary, flowers of remembrance, to her brother Laertes. She is trying to tell him to remember who killed their father, and then get revenge on that person. She then passes him some pansies in order to tell him that she is about to reveal her thoughts on the King and Queen. Ophelia hands Gertrude fennel and columbines, flowers that represent adultery. ... ... middle of paper ... ...oo many details about Ophelia’s death, plus her behavior at the funeral is quite interesting. Rather than sobbing hysterically or settling in deep depression, Gertrude apologizes to Ophelia’s corpse before talking about things that could have been. In the end, the queen makes up for her lack of help to procure a spot in heaven for Ophelia. Shakespeare uses Ophelia in a manner that is appropriate to her name. Ophelia is Greek for help, and while she faithfully helps the other characters, she lacks help in return. Being the most important character that provides dramatic irony, Ophelia also receives the backfire of all of the failed revenge plans. Although for the time period, she does serve her duty well as a woman until she breaks down. Perhaps in the end, it was best for Ophelia to die, so she could provide the knowledge of failed assistance and the harm it does.

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