William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Ophelia: A Victim of Circumstance.

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the character of Ophelia is the most tragic of

all characters. Ophelia is a victim of her life’s circumstance. Having no mother to guide

her, she lacks a sense of self needed to navigate the rough waters of relationships. This is

evident in the choices she makes and by the way she allows the men in her life to treat

her.

She is in a constant search for the approval of the men in her lives. She is engaged

in a struggle between her loyalty to her father and her love for Hamlet. As a result of

being weak willed, this struggle leads to her demise.

From the outset of the play, her identity is defined by external forces and is

constructed by societal influences of the times. Motherless and limited by the men in her

life, she has been shaped to abandon her own desires in order to appease the desires of

others. Her father and brother control Ophelia in an almost incestuous way. Both

consider themselves individually the cultivator of her moral and psychological growth.

Laertes, for example, attempts to teach her about the dangers of the advances of men.

“Fear it, Ophelia, fear it my dear sister”(1.3.33), --“it” being Hamlet’s desire to take her

“chaste treasure”(1.3.31) which Laertes seems to want to hold. With his “ministering

angel” (5.1.234) safely in Ellsinore chastity in tact and even agreeing to deny herself the

act of sleeping so she can write to him (1.3.3-4), Laertes can return to France without

worrying about his sister.

Whereas Ophelia is an angel in the eyes of Laertes, she is used by Polonius in order

to advance his own cause. Continually treating her like a child, he teaches his “green girl”

(1.3.101) to be loyal and agree to every command. Polonius further controls her by

stating that if she acts on her own accord she will “ tender [him] a fool” (1.3.109). In

addition, he strips her of any individuality. “You do not understand yourself so

clearly/As it behooves my daughter and your honor. I will teach you,” he further tears her

down to the status of a child by stating, ”Think yourself a baby”(1.3.96-97, 105). Ophelia

now becomes a willing instrument in order for her father to possibly gain stature with

Claudius by showing loyalty to him.

Ophelia, exhibiting once again her lack of regard for herself and her desires,

agrees to participate in the set up to see if Hamlet is acting crazy because he is in love.