The Tragedy of Lady Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet

They each share a common connection: the loss of a parental figure. Hamlet loses his father as a result of a horrible murder, as does Ophelia. Her situation is more severe because it is her lover who murders her father and all of her hopes for her future as well. Ultimately, it is also more harmful to her character and causes her melancholy and grief to quickly turn to madness. Critics argue that Hamlet has the first reason to be hurt by Ophelia because she follows her father's wishes regarding Hamlet's true intentions for their beginning love.

William Shakespeare has represented women in wide range of characterizations and notions. In his most famous and memorable play Hamlet the character Gertrude played an impact on Hamlet himself and her actions of selfishness depicted throughout the play. However in some cases she did mean well for her son but her act of selfishness resulted in a lost son. Gertrude’s poor judgments of betrayal and selfishness result in the tragic conflicts with her son Hamlet. We first realize Gertrudes poor judgments is her major flaw in the beginning of the play.

In Act 3, scene 4 lines 52 through 93, Hamlet confronts his mother, Gertrude and explains his suspicions about his uncle, Claudius, being a poison that infected and ruined his mother’s soul. The passage gives readers a deep insight into both Hamlet and Gertrude Hamlet’s true feelings for his mother are exposed in a verbal attack as he explains Claudius is an unworthy man who seduced his mother and murdered his father. The conversation is important to the storyline of Hamlet because Gertrude’s character becomes more defined through her interactions with her son and greatly impacts how the tragedy plays out as she refuses to believe Hamlet when he explains Claudius is a villian. Hamlet feels very angry and feels his mother has abandoned and betrayed King Hamlet and himself. His ideas about her being a good pure Queen are proved false as she turns her back on her husband and marries his brother.

She was romantically involved with Hamlet, and couldn’t handle the fact that her boyfriend murdered her father. This destroyed Ophelia’s character and led to her suicide. Polonius’ son Laertes, had now lost his entire family and wanted to get revenge by assassinating Hamlet. Laertes was having a meeting with Claudius and they were planning the details of how to kill Hamlet.

The Innocence of Gertrude and Ophelia “Pretty Ophelia,” as Claudius calls her, is the most innocent victim of Hamlet’s revenge in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Hamlet has fallen in love with Ophelia after the death of his father. Ophelia “sucked the honey of his music vows” and returned Hamlet’s affection. But when her father had challenged Hamlet’s true intentions, Ophelia could only say: “I do not know, my lord, what I should think.” Ophelia was used to relying on her father’s directions and she was also brought up to be obedient. This allowed her to only accept her father’s views that Hamlet’s attention towards her was only to take advantage of her and to obey her father’s orders not to permit Hamlet to see her again.

The assignment said not in the first paragraph, i.e., the paper was to be about how foils affect the meaning of this play.] Foils are minor characters created in a play to help the audience understand a major character better by giving the major character someone to talk to and compare them to. Ophelia can be considered a foil to Hamlet because she helps us see the different attitudes Hamlet has toward certain things. Hamlet, after finding out that his father was murdered, starts acting crazy and giving Ophelia mixed signals about his love for her. Ophelia believes Hamlet loves her but,  because of her father’s wishes, constantly turns him down and denies that she feels the same way.

Hamlet blames Gertrude's incestous act for the death of his father. "A bloody deed. Almost as bad, good mother,/ As kill a King and marry with his brother" (3.4: 28-29). After King Hamlet's ghost had appeared before Hamlet to inform him about the reality of his death, Hamlet was overcome by anger. Hamlet's anger leads to a change in his view regarding Gertrude since he loses his mother-son connection with her.

Hamlet feigning madness and Ophelia’s true insanity ultimately lead to their tragic deaths. Hamlet reveals the truth of the mask of madness allowing Hamlet and Ophelia to speak freely. Hamlet and Ophelia’s reaction regarding the executions of their fathers prompts their madness. Both Hamlet and Ophelia have controlling parents who compelled them to take jobs that they have no interest in doing. Hamlet feigning madness and Ophelia’s true insanity leads them to their tragic deaths.

This image of a tragic hero seems to be just a façade. Although there can be many reason why he may be seem as a tragic hero he is corrupted by those around him making him evil. Hamlet soul becomes corrupt since the beginning with the sudden marriage of his mother to his uncle, the man who killed his father. His depression is much deeper then what everyone believed. Hamlet tries to explain it to his mother and Claudius that his grief is deeper and is much more then the appearance of someone who mourns.

(1.2.146). Hamlet has developed a burning hate towards his mother and women in general. It is this fuming mind-set that is responsible for his terrible treatment towards dear, innocent Ophelia in Act 3. Once Hamlet discovers the cause of his father?s death, he disguises himself by acting nutty to mask his true objectives of revenge. By doing so Hamlet is now able to do whatever he wants to, without being questioned of his behavior.