Essay on Frail Ophelia of Hamlet - 711 Words

Frail Ophelia of Hamlet Throughout Hamlet, Shakespeare makes it evident that Ophelia is very unstable. She continuously changes her mind about the way she feels. Laertes and Polonius command her to do things that she does not agree with, but she does them with no argument. Afraid to stand up for herself, she stands back and watches everyone else control her life. In Shakespeares Hamlet, Ophelia is treated as a marionette with her strings in the hands of the people around her; however, Kenneth Branagh portrays her as independent and innocent, ignoring Shakespeares representation of her as feeble-minded through complete male dominance in her thoughts and actions, her indecisiveness, and digression into madness. It is†¦show more content†¦(1.3.133-136) He goes on to say she is unable to think for herself, untruthful and insincere. Ophelia takes his words to heart and promises to remember what he has told her. In Branaghs movie, he makes this scene look as though Ophelia and Laertes are having a normal conversation. The slanderous words thrown towards Ophelia do not seem to bother her; she goes on about her business as though her brother has praised her instead of insulted her. Ophelia cannot stand on her own because she relies too much on the directions given to her by her father and brother. Ophelia has trouble deciding whether or not she loves Hamlet or thinks he loves her because she does not know how to understand her own feelings. This comes from always letting everyone else tell her what she should think. Polonius questions her about the many tenders of affection Hamlet has shown her and she replies, I do not know, my lord, what I should think(1.3.104-105). Later she says that she thinks Hamlet goes mad over her. Throughout the play she contradicts herself, showing she is ambivalent and has no set thoughts; she thinks whatever the person around her at that moment thinks. Ophelias madness comes about because she cannot stand on her own and focuses too much on the bad things around her. She is very pessimistic; she constantlyShow MoreRelated The Role of Women in Hamlet in William Shakespeares Play Essay2041 Words   |  9 PagesThe Role of Women in Hamlet in William Shakespeares Play Gertrude and Ophelia, the only two women in Hamlet, reflect the general status of women in Elizabethan Times. Women were suppressed by the males in their lives (brothers, fathers, and partners) and were always inferior. Ophelia and Gertrude have little or no power due to restricted legal, social and economic rights that were found in Elizabethan society. 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