How Does Ophelia Change In Hamlet

Ophelia, the daughter of Polonius, is another major character whose relationship with

Hamlet drastically change throughout the play. At the beginning, Hamlet seems to have feelings for Ophelia, as seen by his love note, and Ophelia’s mention of holiest vows, however both her father, Polonius, and her brother, Laertes, seem to be suspicious of this, and warn her that they doubt it will last, and she should be more wary of Hamlet. She seems upset with this fact, but reluctantly agrees, although it seems she still really likes him. She turns down his signs of affections at every chance she has, and when she does try to talk to him, he snaps at her, and yells angrily. He claims,”You should not have believed me , for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish

A main part of this play, is easily explained by Robert Evans’s article,

Friendship in Hamlet, where he states, “The play's concern with friendship is sounded at once:

"Who's there?" (1.1.1).5 Quite literally, Barnardo wants to know not only who is there (whether the unseen figure is a friend or foe) but also why he is there (whether his intentions are friendly).

This opening epitomizes the entire play and particularly Hamlet's position at court: surrounded by darkness, a lone figure needs to recognize his friends.” This is very accurate, as Hamlet distrusts all around him, which he has a right to do so as all of his once close friends, and family, have it out for him in the play. The one person who has stayed loyal to Hamlet during all this has been Horatio, who even passes on Hamlet’s tale after he dies.

The relationships in Hamlet both affected how the story ran, and how Hamlet acted throughout the play. Many of his prior relationships change drastically throughout the play,