The Ghost, in the form of the late King Hamlet of Denmark, appears but will not speak. Polonius decides that Hamlet has been made insane by Ophelias refusing to see him. March 3, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Ophelias tragedy lies in the way she loses her innocence through no fault of her own. Let us know your assignment type and we'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of answer you need. More than likely, she fell into the brook or was swept downstream by the current. After Polonius finishes reading the letter Claudius, Gertrude and himself decide to use Ophelia as a spy. She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends up in a state of madness that ultimately leads to her drowning.. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Our April festival celebrating 400 years of Shakespeare's First Folio, Our award-winning performances of Shakespeare, adaptations, and new works, Our early music ensemble Folger Consort and more, Our longstanding O.B. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Killed by Hamlet while Polonius is hiding behind an arras spying on Hamlet and Gertrude. Love what most people view as a physical affection or attachment towards someone.Is there really a pacific way to show someone that you're in love with them.When it comes to love most people are afraid of showing someone that they love them because they're afraid of getting hurt or for the other person getting hurt. Did Hamlet have her killed? He feels that he must revenge for his father's death in order for him to have peace and to keep his reputation untainted ("Hamlet's revenge," para. Why We Love the Ophelia Painting by Sir John Everett Millais, "There is a willow grows aslant a brook,That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream;There with fantastic garlands did she comeOf crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purplesThat liberal shepherds give a grosser name,But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them:There, on the pendent boughs her coronet weedsClambering to hang, an envious sliver broke;When down her weedy trophies and herselfFell in the weeping brook. _____ What does Laertes tell Ophelia? From a psychological standpoint, Ophelia exhibits clear symptoms of trauma-induced psychosis. "Hamlet: I humbly thank you; well, well, well. There is no mention of a struggle or resistance or shouts for help, which would all make sense if Ophelia was trying to stay alive, so maybe death was a welcome outlet for her. The author uses the simile comparing Ophelia to a creature native and indued unto that element in order to emphasize her familiarity with the feeling of being figuratively submerged in her own tears. When Hamlet himself enters, he is confronted first by Polonius and then by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, whom he quickly identifies as Claudiuss spies. Ophelia enters, deeply disturbed about a visit she has just had from an apparently mad Hamlet. a. In the play it is very obvious that he is heartless towards the opposite sex by the actions that he takes and the words that he speaks. with line numbers, TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis), as TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis). Ophelia 's cause of death is drowning, but the circumstances around her drowning, according to Queen Gertrude, are definitely odd. Dorian has been the concerned topic on the internet as Ben has announced the death of the 16-year-old Dorian. King Tut has died a mysterious death. 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 / There's tricks in the . As he commands Hamlet to take revenge he orders him "But howsoever thou pursuest this act, taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive . Hamlet tries to find out who the grave is for and reflects on the skulls that are being dug up. He doesn't know when he'll return that Ophelia has gone insane as a result of Hamlet's bizarre reactions and her father's death. Ophelias character went through quite a large transformation. with line numbers, TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis), as TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis). Being raised with just men in her life she has no idea how to go about dealing with Hamlet and his mixed feelings. This death is 'right', or 'just' as the King died in battle. Hamlet comes upon him kneeling and draws his sword, but then stops to think that if he kills Claudius at prayer, Claudius will go to heaven. Latest answer posted December 18, 2020 at 11:36:35 AM. However, as the new king, Hamlet isn't sure how to get to him, so he decides to fake madness, but his plan backfires as Claudius doesn't trust him and makes sure he is always watched. Events before the start of Hamlet set the stage for tragedy. Is mystique nightcrawlers mother in the movies. RALPH: Gertrude describes how her clothing spread out over the surface of the water, keeping her afloat for a moment, while she sang songs of praise, or perhaps hymns. Ophelia's cause of death is drowning, but the circumstances around her drowning, according to Queen Gertrude, are definitely odd. In Act III, Scene I of the play, Ophelia says to Hamlet My lord, I have remembrances of yours, That I have longed long, Throughout the play, Ophelia acts as a very honest person in the beginning, willing to tell Laertes and Polonius anything. The Violet's in the play signify death which ties Ophelia to the theme of the play as well. This theory may be supported by her grief ove. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Gertrude reports Poloniuss death to Claudius, who sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet and recover the body. While the death of Hamlet's father made him angry enough to want revenge, Ophelia internalized the death of her father de ella as a loss of personal identity. He and Laertes struggle, with Hamlet protesting his own love and grief for Ophelia. Ophelia's darling Hamlet causes all her emotional pain throughout the play, and when his hate is responsible for her father's death, she has endured all that she is capable of enduring and goes insane. As things worsen up the manipulation plot developed and when Polonius died everything went down for Ophelia. When she dies, Gertrude reports her death to Claudius and Laertes. Ophelia does not die in the film. Hire writer. Gertrude cannot see the Ghost and pities Hamlets apparent madness. Quoth she, Before you tumbled me, Ophelia responds with these few words, implying that Hamlet's actions both in the past and the present indicate that he did love her and likely still does. So, as you can see Ophelia is put, The story of Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a story of betrayal, revenge, and intrigue. Ophelia is described, As [being] one incapable of her own distress, or like a creature native and indued unto that element.. Ophelia dies in act IV, somewhere between scene V and scene VII. Ophelia takes her collection of flowers with her when she dies, When down her weedy trophies and herself fell in the weeping brook.. Ophelia was just a muppet for Polonius, Hamlet, and Claudius that did not deserve to end in such a tragic manner. A court gentleman reports that Ophelia has become pitiably insane. grief causes his madness, wants revenge yet cannot act, overthinks, negative view of women (sees them as weak) kills brother by pouring poison in his ear, can't repent for sins because. Death permeates "Hamlet" right from the opening scene of the play, where the ghost of Hamlet's father introduces the idea of death and its consequences. An envious sliver broke. From award-winning theater and music, to poetry and exhibitions, experience the power of the arts with us. Hamlet decides to kill Claudius when the king is committing a sin so that Claudius will instead go to hell. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. The Laertes character is thought . Why does Marcellus say, Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (1.4.94)? Hamlet tells her what he knows about his father's death. These changes include increased helplessness and the inability to make decisions as he becomes more ill. Had Hamlet not been murdered, his suicidal impulses may have caused him to self destruct. Then, Hamlet comes back to Ophelia telling her that she needs to go to a nunnery. Contact us Gertrude, The Queen of Denmark, is responsible for Ophelia's death. Immediately after Hamlet exits, dragging Polonius ' body, we see Claudius asking Gertrude to explain what has happened. The love throughout the kingdom of Denmark becomes toxic, killing all who lives, When they are aware of Hamlets feelings towards Ophelia they are convinced that he would just use her for her virginity then break her heart. When Hamlet tells Ophelia go thy ways to a nunnery(3.1.140), he is practically calling her something no teenage girl wants to known as. Claudius and Laertes conspire to kill Hamlet during the match. The circumstances surrounding her death muddy her reputation, Nature her custom holds, Let shame say what it will: when these are gone, The woman will be out.. On the guards platform at Elsinore, Horatio waits with Barnardo and Marcellus to question a ghost that has twice before appeared. Polonius persuades Claudius to take no action until Gertrude talks with Hamlet after the play, which is scheduled for that evening. She is discouraged because Hamlet had told her before that if Ophelia would sleep with him that they would get married. He is Hamlet's father b. / / God a mercy on his soul. Our doors are reopening in Fall 2023! Ophelia takes her collection of flowers with her when she dies, " When down her weedy trophies and herself fell in the weeping brook.". Find teaching resources and opportunities. She might have been trying to spare Laertes or to diffuse another tantrum on his part. Hamlet's dearest friend, Horatio, agrees with him that Claudius has unambiguously confirmed his guilt. Claudius enlists Laertess willing help in devising another plot against Hamlets life. He doesnt know when hell return that Ophelia has gone insane as a result of Hamlets bizarre reactions and her fathers death. Ophelia starts to go mad dealing with the problem of choosing between her fathers wishes and her true. It is one of the most quoted works of literature in the world, and since . He exits dragging out Poloniuss body. The third one being Ophelia. 7) In Shakespeare's "Hamlet", who is the father of Ophelia? What were Ophelia's last words? After thanking his courtiers for their recent support, he dispatches ambassadors to Norway to halt a threatened attack from Fortinbras. Polonius rushes off to tell the king. Ophelia in the fourth act of Hamlet is demonstrably insane, but the direct cause of her slipped sanity is something that remains debatable. Love is usually not associated with the negative possible outcomes. When hamlet refers to ophelia as a nymph this is an example of? Hamlet's insane behavior is a significant part of the story because it is supposedly part of his revenge plan, but also because of the additional problems, it creates. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! What impact did Ophelia's death have on Hamlet? Ophelia's Madness Ophelia's final words are addressed to either Hamlet, or her father, or even herself and her lost innocence: "And will a not come again? Answer (1 of 5): This same question, or another version that was nearly identical to it, was answered very well somewhere else by someone who said that it wasn't certain that Ophelia's death had much of an impact on Hamlet at all. Shakespeare probably meant to keep his readers wondering: Did she commit suicide? Did Gertrude have an affair with Claudius before he killed Hamlets father? In Act 1, Scene 5 The Ghost tells Hamlet of Claudius's treachery. Ophelia at this point felt very insecure about herself and she questioned her relationship with Hamlet. When a teenage girl is called unspeakable terms by the one she admires and tenders(1.3.108), it can make a huge indent in the girls self love. Her brother and father stifled her, and latter (along with the King) used her as a pawn to trap Hamlet. Polonius joins them, sends Laertes off, then echoes Laertess warnings to Ophelia, finally ordering her not to see Hamlet again. After thanking his courtiers for their recent support, he dispatches ambassadors to Norway to halt a threatened attack from Fortinbras. Hamlet, horrified, vows to remember and swears his friends to secrecy about what they have seen. Latest answer posted November 19, 2020 at 1:33:52 PM. Purchasing Ophelia is repeatedly warned to protect her virtue throughout the play, but she ultimately loses it in the most tragic way. Ophelia accepted her death without any fight and made no attempt to protect her own life. 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As a result, we can see that he had reason to blame her death. She gave up to the point where it could be argued that Ophelia committed suicide. She in no way fought for her life and simply gave into the eternal sleep. Reports reach Gertrude that Ophelia is mad. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. What does Hamlet think about suicide? To become a nun c. To obey her father d. To uphold her domestic . Her madness is a major factor; it resulted from various griefs and stressors caused by men that influenced her and Hamlet's rejection of her. Hamlet is challenged by Laertes in a duel when he learns of the death of Ophelia. Find out whats on, read our latest stories, and learn how you can get involved. Her father never her gave that to her during his lifetime. From her very first scene, men tell Ophelia what to do. Dive deep into the worlds largest Shakespeare collection and access primary sources from the early modern period. Laertes agrees to kill Hamlet with a poisoned rapier in a fencing match. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! without line numbers, as DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) Horatio decides to tell his fellow student, Prince Hamlet, about the Ghosts appearance. Polonius echoes her cry, and Hamlet, thinking Polonius to be Claudius, stabs him to death. By killing Polonius, he causes Ophelia to go mad and that is eventually the reason for her demise. He was so infatuated with making sure his children do not mess up his agenda, that he totally threw their needs as humans to the side. Hamlet, who has returned safely to confront the king, agrees to a fencing match with Ophelias brother, Laertes, who secretly poisons his own rapier. Hamlet quickly sees through the scheme and begins to act the part of a madman in front of them. She is the daughter of Polonius, the sister of Laertes, and up until the beginning of the plays events, she has also been romantically involved with Hamlet. a. It signals to Hamlet. Take the Analysis of Major CharactersQuick Quiz. marries old husband's brother, more loyal to . Hamlet is exuberant that the Ghosts word has been proved true. Did she drown? He gives Laertes permission to return to France but denies Hamlets request to return to the university in Wittenberg. The placement of the priest's admonition supports the suicide pretty solidly. Hamlet, now free to act, mistakenly kills Polonius, thinking he is Claudius. Her apparent suicide indicates a desire to take over her life for the first time. Discount, Discount Code After Hamlets death, Fortinbras arrives, claims the crown, and orders a military funeral for Hamlet. Ophelias death was therefore an accident to the point where her madness blinded her to the danger she was in. Ophelia's link with Hamlet's mission from the ghost . 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Which is basically calling Ophelia a whore, because a nunnery is like a whorehouse. In the middle of Hamlets attack, the Ghost returns to remind Hamlet that his real purpose is to avenge his fathers death. Left alone, Claudius reveals his remorse for killing his brother, and he tries to pray. Ophelia delivers the symbolism of innocence but also of sexuality. After Hamlet leaves, Claudius rises, saying that he has been unable to pray. Laertes. She becomes confused and starts behaving strangely. Hamlets entrance so alarms Gertrude that she cries out for help. Ophelia's actions in the scenes leading up to her death suggest it, but in truth it was caused by a terrible accident. 57. stoup, to address public opinion regarding Ophelia's death and Hamlet's madness. Ophelia is now dead, possibly by her own hand, and Hamlet must be wondering if Hamlets recent words and treatment of her had anything to do with her death. King Tut's death has always been a mystery and there has been a lot of theories about it. Ophelia is torn because she is sure in her heart that Hamlet loves her, even though she could never be his wife. It signals to Hamlet. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare uses character and rhetoric to display how ones hatred and anger are impulsively taken out upon woman, from this the reader learns how misogyny is difficult to acknowledge, but rather easy to practice. There were not two but three things in the play that caused Hamlet to be depressed. The questions behind Ophelia's death has to do with her mental state at the time of her tragic flower-gathering. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Polonius echoes her cry, and Hamlet, thinking Polonius to be Claudius, stabs him to death. However, since Hamlet's mind suffers the corruption of Claudius' crimes, Claudius can be named responsible for Ophelia's fall. The ghost of his father told him that Hamlet needed to avenge his death by killing Claudius. He then tells her about Claudiuss plan to send him to England and reveals his suspicions that the journey is a plot against him, which he resolves to counter violently. Hamlet was in a distant land, so he could not have done it himself. 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What is the message of Ophelia? He gives Laertes permission to return to France but denies Hamlets request to return to the university in Wittenberg. In the hall of the castle, Hamlet tells Horatio how he discovered the kings plot against him and how he turned the tables on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Unlike Hamlet, the amount that Ophelia fights for her own self-preservation changes very little over the course of the play. When the councilor Polonius learns from his daughter, Ophelia, that Hamlet has visited her in an apparently distracted state, Polonius attributes the princes condition to lovesickness, and he sets a trap for Hamlet using Ophelia as bait.To confirm Claudiuss guilt, Hamlet arranges for a play that mimics the murder; Claudiuss reaction is that of a guilty man. One symbol is the weeping willow. / No, no, he is dead, / Go to thy death-bed, / He never will come again. In this way, her legacy is stained with shame and her innocence is lost. His hurry in doing things also leads him to damnation just like Hamlet. Claudius, on the other hand, was the one who guiding and instructing Polonious at first, so he is also to blame. The true face and actions from Ophelia, Laertes, Polonius, Queen Gertrude, King Claudius, and particularly Hamlet lead to their deaths. Ophelia obeys, but her action sends Hamlet into a fit of misogynistic rage. As Gertrude dies, Laertes, himself dying, discloses his and Claudiuss plot against Hamlet. Soon after, Hamlet mistakenly kills Polonius.