Ophelia's Personality

In “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark,” by the legendary playwright William Shakespeare, the titular character possesses numerous personality traits. Some of his qualities are admirable, others are inexcusable, and others still are understandable. Hamlet is a complex man; thus, throughout the story he experiences and expresses several emotions and opinions.

Throughout the play, Hamlet remains in a depressive state (Cavus, par. 2). It would appear the cause of his broken emotional state is his father’s recent death and his mother’s marriage to his uncle, Claudius. During a conversation between Hamlet and his mother, she asks him to “cast thy knighted color off / And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark” (Ham.1.2.68-69). In

He also displays a certain degree of coldness to Ophelia, as well. In fact, he has been playing with Ophelia’s feeling for quite some time. This fact is proven by the words of her brother, Laertes. While speaking to Ophelia, Laertes orders her to think of Hamlet “no more” because he cannot be trusted around her all-important virginity (Ham.1.3.8). This indicates Hamlet has a forthright way with women. When Ophelia speaks to Hamlet personally, he once again displays his misogynistic feelings. While conversing, she is extremely polite to him. He responds to her politeness with inexcusable cruelness. During their conversation, he asserts that women make husbands into “monsters” through being unfaithful (Ham.3.1.140). Hamlet then states that all women are unfaithful, which is why he orders Ophelia to join a “nunnery,” slang for a brothel (Ham.3.1.140). He uses the artificiality of cosmetics as an analogy for womankind’s deceptive behavior. Hamlet says fake behavior is like makeup that covers a “face,” it makes a woman appear to be something she is not (Ham.3.1.143-144). Thus, Hamlet is accusing Ophelia of feigning innocence to cover up the fact that she is naturally promiscuous. He then orders her, once more, to a “nunnery” (Ham.

Hamlet, still torn between killing his uncle and avenging his father, makes an important decision. He will test his uncle to determine if he is innocent or guilty of the elder Hamlet’s death. He will have the players perform a scene reenacting the sequence by which Hamlet envisions his uncle to have murdered his father. He assumes, Claudius will surely react if is guilty. When the moment of the murder arrives in the theater, Claudius quickly leaves the room, proving his guilt to Hamlet and