Hamlet can begin and end without Ophelia ever entering the play. So she is a thematic device, a means for Shakespeare to convey something about humanity. Try to determine Shakespeare's purpose for Ophelia, his reason for using her, for tormenting her, and for making her the first tragic victim in the greatest tragedy ever written.
Help please?
2006-12-03 08:23:51 · 5 answers · asked by blondefrog005 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
You have to ask the question, "Is Hamlet *really* mad." No one doubts that Ophelia's nuts, but people wonder what Hamlet's deal is. For those who say "no, Hamlet's just pretending to be insane", Shakespeare gives a pretty clear example of crazy, through Ophelia. Shakespeare uses Ophelia to show that, if Hamlet was crazy, he would behave sort of like she does.
2006-12-07 08:04:24 · answer #1 · answered by Teflonn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Apparently, Ophelia wasn't a very important character at all. In my opinion, Shakespeare was never a big fan of women, and Ophelia may be his own personal interpretation of a woman. She may even just have been there for her to die, and strengthen the fact that the play is a tragedy.
2006-12-03 12:28:28 · answer #2 · answered by sawlmw2003 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's always seemed to me that Ophelia is meant to show a contrast with Hamlet. He is in his dither about whether or not to obey his father, or the ghost of his father, if it even is his father... but I digress... Meanwhile, Ophelia has led the more sheltered life of women of her day. She obeyed her father without question -- unlike what Hamlet is feeling. She has wished her brother off on his life without ever seeming to want one for herself.
Then, her very real madness is the opposite of his feigned madness. She has gone on to experience the depth of emotion that Hamlet has denied himself -- perhaps out of fear of where it could lead. If she were not so tortured, Hamlet would not see the example of what he does not want to have happen to himself.
2006-12-03 08:37:37 · answer #3 · answered by blueowlboy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She is the love interest, she is needed to show the sacrifices that Hamlet must make to acheive his avenging goal (ie can't get sidetracked by romance) . Also we need to have a peek at Hamlet's love life to expand on why he gets so disgusted by his mother's sexuality.There is also the theme of sexual morality and the question of whether their love was ever consumated or not.
2006-12-03 09:56:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you doing Homework?
If she is the one girl,.. look what people are ignoreing and missing out on because they are idiots. Humanity has gotten much worse the past few years in the United States,.. in my area everyone practices ignorance.
What has Ignorance done for you today?
2006-12-03 08:33:25 · answer #5 · answered by sailortinkitty 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋