Analysis Of Ophelia's Death

n William Shakespeare 's Hamlet, Ophelia’s death is first regarded to as an accident caused by a weak tree branch. But, there are many key events and characters that help support to argument that Ophelia was, in fact, murdered. With this evidence, those involved in the incident should be held accountable for their part in her death. There are many questions that could be asked when clearing the argument of Ophelia’s death being an accident. One could ask, “How would the queen know all the details of the incident when claiming she wasn’t there?” and “If she had nothing to do with it, why was she there?” While exploring the events of Ophelia’s death, prime suspects will be evaluated, evidence supporting each ruling will be presented, as well

When she is told to stay away from Hamlet for fear that he may deflower her, she replies hastily saying “I shall obey my Lord”(1.3.136). Ophelia and Hamlet have a quite complex and bipolar relationship, that is the epitome of young love. One minute they are madly head-over-heels in love with each other, and the next minute they’re exchanging blows to one another’s ego and returning belongings. But, when thing are good for the two young lovers, it is clear that their love is pure and good. Hamlet proclaims that his love for dear Ophelia can even be matched by “Forty thousand brothers”, even if they added their love together(5.1.237). In Shakespeare 's Heroines:Characteristics of Women, Anna Brownell Murphy Jameson says:

“I do think, with submission, that the love of Hamlet for Ophelia is deep, is real, and is precisely the kind of love which such a man as Hamlet would feel for such a woman as Ophelia”.

But when things are bad, they are bad. In the midst of a fiery break-up argument, Hamlet tells Ophelia to to go a nunnery. There should wouldn’t bear children and have them to be wicked like his

Her unimportance to the play could shed some light on one of the views. Ophelia was shown as the essential beautiful, yet unimportant character in this play. Problems that could have prompted her to end her life which include being thought of as an obedient piece of property. Elaine Showalter’s insight on the way critics and even the writer of the literature in which Ophelia was written sums up Ophelia’s role in the play. She says:

“Though she is neglected in criticism, Ophelia is probably the most frequently illustrated and cited of Shakespeare 's heroines. Her visibility as a subject in literature, popular culture, and painting, from Redon who paints her drowning, to Bob Dylan, who places her on Desolation Row, to Cannon Mills, which has named a flowery sheet pattern after her, is in inverse relation to her invisibility in Shakespearean critical texts”.

Ophelia’s death, at first glance, could be thought of as an accident which is completely disgraceful during her time period. It causes many people to wonder if she should even be buried in the christian cemetery. Jacques Lacan says:

“For political reasons, Polonius is buried secretly, without ceremony, posthaste. And you remember the whole business of Ophelia 's burial. There is the discussion of how it is that Ophelia, having most probably committed suicide -- this is at least the common belief -- still is buried on Christian