Already a member? At such an early age, her life was taken. She is a victim of circumstances beyond her control, and her ultimate demise serves as a poignant reminder of the destructive power of manipulation and betrayal. In Shakespeare's play "Hamlet," Ophelia is a tragic figure whose untimely death serves as a catalyst for the events of the play. Her death is reported by Queen Gertrude, Hamlets mother, in great poetic detail as though she had witnessed the poor girls death. Her actions display not only this awareness, but also maturity in her non-confrontational discussions. The evidence suggesting that she is simply mourning her father is obvious, as lines from one of her many songs points towards grieving over an aged relative His beard as white as snow / All flaxen was his poll with flaxen here indicating a white or grayed head of hair (4.5.190-191). I agree with your point in saying that the sexual references in Ophelias songs do account for her love of Hamlet. I agree with your point in saying that the sexual references in Ophelias songs do account for her love of Hamlet. As daughter of the Kings Chief Chamberlain, she is part of the Queens Court Ladies. Jessica Tovey is an Australian actor and writer, who has worked across film, theatre and television for over 15 years. Notice the broken tip of one of the leaves and the overall smoothness, upright firmness, yet soft flexibility. The priest refuses, saying that, because she committed suicide, he must deny Ophelia the requiem mass and other trappings of a Christian burial, even though Ophelia will be buried on sacred ground. I wonder which had more an effect? Some see Ophelia's death as an accident; others see it as a suicide resulting Ophelias Madness Hamlet ridiculed her and her father, Im assuming a person closest to her as there is no mention of a mother, dies unexpectingly. Sam, The death of a woman is under investigation after authorities said she was found in her apartment on Stella Link Road. They say a made a good end. give more credence to Ophelias shattered mental state, as she is constantly fixating on the death of Polonius, so much so that every single thing reminds her of his passing (4.5.180-181). Death I couldn't save them: fisherman on Italy shipwreck In the top right corner is another plant with purple flowers, which could possibly be the purple loosestrife, and directly below it are forget-me-nots on the embankment. The fact that this grief drives Ophelia to madness reveals her overwhelming feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness, and the power that the men in Ophelia's life wield over her. Clamb'ring to hang, an envious sliver broke, Fell in the weeping brook. Ophelia is forced to give up the one she loves due to what others are telling her to do so, and because of her fathers prying he ultimately dies. A close-up of the different flowers in Ophelia (1851-1852) by John Everett Millais;John Everett Millais, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Hamlet reacted to this event with an internal battle that harmed everyone around him. Body Bags Host & Forensics Expert Says Georgia Moms Suicide Published. William Shakespeares Hamlet (c. 15991601) was a tale of love, murder, madness, and heartbreak, of which the character Ophelia met her end, drowning in a brook, but is forever immortalized in the visual arts. Ophelia, a decided and determined young photographer, leaves So Vicente, by water, to swim across the sea until she reaches Ubatuba, where she believes her father is located. I do pity her as a character because now she is truly on her own and I feel Hamlet and her family is partially to blame. Analysis Of Ophelia's Death - 1659 Words | 123 Help Me what star wars does luke train with yoda how to build a privacy fence on a deck. Accessed 4 Mar. Death Lush foliage surrounds the almost drowned figure of Ophelia. Ophelias songs show her slipping into further madness with a lot of bizarre sexually-laced lyrics and while reading this portion of the play I just felt bad for her. Ophelia's Death Even though, in the beginning, Hamlet is only feigning madness, he is certainly troubled (to say the least) at the end of the play. This behavior is consistent with Ophelias having gone to the brook intending to kill herself. The philosophical themes that dominate the soliloquy are concerned with the SARAH: Ophelia continues to float on the surface of the water for just a brief moment then her clothing becomes waterlogged and pulls her under. You are right though, her character exists as a tragic character, unfortunately so because her character is so interesting. I do think that she is a tragic character in this play, and I do think that it is in a pitiable way, because of the events that she has gone through. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/ When Ophelia's death is first relayed to the audience by Queen Gertrude, she talks about Ophelia drowning accidentally, after a branch from the willow tree breaks off, causing Ophelia to fall into the waters. Her death could be either interpreted as an accident or suicide. I assumed her song at 4.5.62-64, insinuates an alleged intimacy she had with Hamlet, and his promise to marry her if she were to agree to intimacy. She is depicted in a beautiful, soft dress barely keeping her buoyant and her midsection is submerged in the water. In the begining of the play Ophelia knows that Hamlet loves her yet decides to keep her distance because her brother tells her to. either. Though the man in the song has promised the speaker that they will soon wed, he has left her for no apparent reason and like Hamlets alleged claims of love and marriage to Ophelia, so too has Hamlet broken those vows for reasons unbeknownst. Regardless of the exact circumstances of her death, it is clear that Ophelia is a victim of the political and personal conflicts that plague the Danish court. Death I really enjoyed your post any how you revolved it around what you considered to be Ophelias madness. A discussion of Gertrude's description of Ophelia's death in Act 4, Scene 7 of myShakespeare'sHamlet. So he rips into Ophelia. I know the focus is mainly on Hamlet and his questionable madness, but in a way I definitely see how Ophelia went somewhat mad as well! Or would her fate be the same? Instead of calling for help, she "chanted snatches of old tunes / as one incapable of her own distress." (Hint: I believe it is about why we act or fail to act it is not about suicide.) I wonder which had more an effect? Ophelia is forced to give up the one she loves due to what others are telling her to do so, and because of her fathers prying he ultimately dies. Gertrude's Description of Ophelia's Death - myShakespeare Hamlet in the Graveyard Act 5 Scene 1 of Hamlet opens in a graveyard. For example, the monocot leaves from the sedge plant in the bottom left foreground. I definitely feel that before Polonius dies she is effected by how Hamlet treats her, which the argument I made in my post. I like that you included her singing in what you believed to be madness, because I too brought up her mindless singing in my post about her death. SO many questions that are generated by your post. Her death can be viewed as a suicide which is what I had originally thought, but now after reading what you wrote, it can be viewed as Ophelia seriously becoming mad from all the tragedy she faced all at once. SARAH: Gertrude offers two different visions here of Ophelia singing as she sinks into the water the first is of someone unaware of her life-threatening danger, and seems to convey Ophelia's actual state. Answers. The tragedy of Hamlet delves into life, love, and tyranny. She has no way to prevent the death of her father, and no way to reason with the loss of Hamlets affection. However, the explicit sexual references in Ophelias songs perhaps account for her obsession with the now absent Hamlet, as in promising his love to her earlier in the play and then being scorned, she is doubly heartbroken alongside the death of her father. While it is evident that Ophelia is grieving over the death of her father, Polonius, as Horatio says of her She speaks much of her father, says she hears / Theres tricks in the world, and hems, and beats her heart (4.5.4-5), a secondary cause of Ophelias madness may be in fact about her failed relationship with Hamlet as well. The questions behind Ophelia's death has to do with her mental state at the time of her tragic flower-gathering. WebThe constant pressure from her father, Polonius, and Claudius to spy on Hamlet is a major factor in the increasing madness of Ophelia. About the Author. The first is her father, Polonius, who bids her stay away from Hamlet, and then go to Hamlet to help spy on him. Subsection. Hamlets madness is directly correlated to his fathers death and the appearance of his fathers ghost. I wonder if her father didnt die would she have reacted to this accident in way? At that point in time, it seemed to be an attribute to Ophelia letting herself go; but since you are comparing and including it within the madness of Ophelia I now find myself second guessing whether or not it was her letting herself go or if she was in fact mad. Fly high, lovely spirit, Hersl Dana.. Ophelia (18511852), painted by John Everett Millais, was based on the character from William Shakespeares famous play Hamlet (c. 15991601). Hi Sam, The original frame is gilt plaster with ivy moulding, the Hamlet quotation, in red and blue, on either side of the painting in Gothic script. what star wars does luke train with yoda how to build a privacy fence on a deck. Ophelia Little by little, the revelations come with the aid of his fathers ghost. Sam, Her clothes spread wide, And, mermaid-like, a while they bore her up; Which time she changed snatches of old tunes, As one incapable of her own distress, Or like a creature native and indued Unto that element. I think both her fathers death and her relationship with Hamlet made her depressed and unfortunately made her commit this awful act of suicide. Interestingly, in Shakespeares play, Ophelias death was not depicted, but described by the character Queen Gertrude when she spoke to Laertes, who was Ophelias brother in Act 4, Scene 7. Ophelias Death-Suicide? - New York Essays Ophelia Ofelias madness seems a little more delicate and sudden.