- What does the treatment of Ophelia reveal about the characterization of Ophelia, Hamlet, Polonius, or Laertes?
- What is going on with Hamlet and Ophelia off stage? How does this unknown element contribute to the plot?
- Ophelia's story is not the main plot line the play, so why is it included?
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Ophelia
Ophelia has appeared in two scenes in Hamlet, but both scenes have been read independently. As a result, we've had little opportunity to discuss her in class. Discuss Ophelia's character in the comments, considering:
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I feel like Ophelia's story is included to show the way that the class system worked during this time. It shows that daughters are loyal to their fathers and would rather follow what they say instead of doing something they told them not to do. It gives background to how a family system works.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aliyah. Ophelia's role in the story realy isn't all that important in the story right now, other than to show the society and her respect to the men in her life. Her role in society and her following other's orders forshadow how people will use her later in the story.
ReplyDeleteHamlet wants the others in the play to believe he is crazy or mad. Ophelia's role in this disguise of madness is to be the messenger. Hamlet comes to Ophelia in the night and appears to be mad. She shares with her father, Polonius, that Hamlet appeared mad in her bed chamber. Polonius then in turn tells the king and queen that Hamlet is mad. This is exactly what Hamlet wants everyone to believe. If they believe him mad then they will not suspect he is investigating his father's death.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree that Ophelia is the perfect portrayal of what the family system was like at this time, her use seems to be somewhat of a "puppet" to Hamlet. Hamlet uses her emotions and obvious attraction to convey the beginning of his revenge in his maddened state, causing Ophelia to inform others of these events.
ReplyDeleteThere are two ways at this point in the story that we could presume things were going (not skipping to later information than what we have read so far). Hamlet could have told Ophelia what he learned and what his plans are or he could be playing out his act on her as well to insure that no one would learn of his plans to kill his uncle. I do believe Hamlet is putting on the act around Ophelia which goes to show that though Hamlet loves Ophelia dearly, he doesn't trust her enough to inform her and he is using her emotions to prove his act to Claudius and Polonius.
ReplyDeleteI think that Ophelia may not only be a messenger between Hamlet and other characters, as others have stated here already, but also a window into how Hamlet may have acted before and after. She might be seeing parts of Hamlet that he doesn't show to the other characters, so that may come into play later. The way the others deal with her introduce us to their personalities more, such as Polonius being a very distrusting and wary man.. Laertes fitting a brotherly role.. Ophelia is included but hardly focused on; she serves to enhance the characters around her. Whatever is going on between her and Hamlet off stage just makes us wonder more what kind of person Hamlet may have been and how that person is now changing into the current grieving/plotting one, which could be seen in those hidden interactions. Possibly.
ReplyDeleteI think Ophelia does play a role as what women were supposed to do in that time, but also shows some modern things as well, such as how the father and brother do not want her to date and think she is too good and too young. Offstage you see that Hamlet and Ophelia share messages and visit in private, which is also like how modern couples would act, especially if the family didn't approve. I agree that she is the messenger of Hamlet
ReplyDeleteI feel that Ophelia shows how women weren't seen as individuals but more as children who need to be protected and looked after. She doesn't have much of a choice when it comes to living we life because her brother and father are always watching her and telling her how to live her life. Hamlet and Ophelia are in love supposedly off stage but we cannot be sure because the most we know is that Ophelia's father has warned against Hamlets love for Ophelia. This suggests they are in love but this does not make it certain. Ophelia's story is included to add depth to the plot. It is an opportunity to add more drama and make the reader want to keep reading. Also this commenting situation is horrible and makes me want to smash my phone into pieces.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all the points made here. Ophelia is playing the part of the perfect daughter as well as the messenger for Hamlet. Ophelia's part of the story does provide insight to how Hamlet was before as well. It think that is why Shakespeare included it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Kelsey and Nathan. Ophila is a character that shows how women were supposed to act back in those days. They were supposed to be obidiant to who ever they "belonged to". I don't know if that's the correct term but she is defiantly a good example of how women were supposed to act. Along with the she follows her brother and fathers orders for the most part seeing as they are her superiors. She is also in the play to add a love interest. With Shakespere it was "the more drama the better". The more he could put into his plays to make them more dramitic and interesting for the audience , the better the show would be.
ReplyDeleteOphelia's character treatment brings out characterizations of various other characters around her; such as Laertes, Hamlet, Polonius, and herself. In Laertes one is able to see the brotherly side and role that he uptakes. Not only do we see him as a strong individual but also a caring brother. Polonius is seen as a cautious and wary father. He warns Ophelia to stray from Hamlet until he is more mature. Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship is one of mystery, due to the fact that Hamlet is now a different man from what he once was. Once a happy young man, he is but a shell of his former self, constantly grieving, and in a dark emotional pit. This grief puts a strain on his relationship with Ophelia. Ophelia herself is rarely interacted with and her role in the play serves to be as one to show the heirarchy of society in the past and the role women played. Women seldom had their own judgement and most often listened to the male of the household.
ReplyDeleteOphelia's character is significant so far because she seems to be like a cover for Hamlets craziness. She is under him technically in society but is very helpful
ReplyDeleteSorry it made me cut off.. But she's very helpful in helping develop the plot and
DeleteBeing obedient towards her father!
DeleteThe way people treat Ophelia reveals a lot about their own characters. Like it is shown that Polonious, through his actions to Olphelia, is a protective, strong-willed, and dominant father and Leartes is the cautious older brother who is weary of strangers and cares for his sister. Olphelia is left to be obedient because of her situation. We don't know what exactly is going on with Hamlet and Ophelia behind the scenes (as of now). Ophelia has said she will obey her father, but maybe she secretly see Hamlet if she really loves him. This mysterious element adds to the story because we don't know how faithful she is to her father versus Hamlet. And this will help develop her character later on in the story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with pretty much what everyone has been saying about Ophelia being an example of how woman were in that time. She had to obey her father and brother's warning to stay away from Hamlet, off stage however, they are supposably in love. I think that her plot is added into the story to give another element to the audiences than just revenge. So, I agree with what Stacia said, "the more drama, the more better."
ReplyDeleteOphelia is included in the play for a couple of reasons. First her influence on Hamlet and Polonius' relationship. Her experience with Hamlet shapes her interactions with her father and vice versa. It's also a plot device used later in Act II… She also adds drama and an easy outlet for Hamlet's "I'm crazy" act.
ReplyDeleteI think that how Ophelia is treated informs us more on characters in the play. For example, it brings out the brotherly and fatherly love in Polonius and Laertes by showing that they dont want her to be harmed. Ophelia herself is shown to be obedient and Hamlet seems to show his not so depressed side...The mysterious element of Ophelia and Hamlets loveeeeeeeeeee adds unknown information to the plot and also adds suspense. The stories of Ophelia help a reader understand some information that may be needed to know in the following scenes to come.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kathy and that she is a character that brings out a lot of different qualities in the other characters, such as her brother, Leartes, caring for her, and her father being very protective. Her frailty and innocence shape the qualities of her father and brother. Because she is treated so fragile it shows that she cannot cope with the unfolding of one traumatic event after another.
ReplyDeleteI think that Hamlet's actions around Ophelia are meant to disguise his actions as being "crazy in love" and not crazy with the intent to seek revenge for his father. I also agree thatOphelia's role is to also show the women of that time and his they interact with society.
ReplyDeleteOphelia is definitely a way to move the plot forward, and in many ways acts as a foil to Hamlet and several other characters in the play. She reveals depth to characters like Polonius and Hamlet that allows the reader to develop a deeper appreciation for the both of them.
ReplyDeleteI believe Opeliha is an important character because of the love story that Opeliha brings to the plot. Without her and Hamlet's love story the plot would stand still and not be as interesting. Opeliha reveals characteristics about Hamlet, Laertes, and Polonius that would have not been revealed without her being a part of the plot. This allows the reader to have more understanding of the characters and the views they bring to the plot.
ReplyDeleteOphelia in a lot of ways is what keeps the story going. She not only has influence on Polonius' and Hamlets' relationship, but also, like Tyler said, acts as a foil to Hamlet. Offstage, her and Hamlet meet secretly, which creates a curiosity in the reader as to how their love story will play out.
ReplyDeleteOphelia provides the story with a trustworthy character. The other characters seem to trust her because she is obedient. By being this trustworthy character, she helps further Hamlets plot by helping prove that he is going insane. Because we don't know what is going on off stage between Hamlet and Ophelia, it helps display Hamlets "madness" because all that we know is what Ophelia is saying happened, making him seem crazy and they believe what she says because they trust her. I think she is an important character to help move the plot along.
ReplyDeleteLike a lot of people have already said, I believe several of the same things concerning Ophelia's character. To me she is not so much important to the central plot, but more important to building Hamlet's character. I would agree that she acts a messenger and that she adds to the romance of the story which attracts more readers.
ReplyDeleteThe character of Ophelia was introduced in Hamlet as the girl who is easily controlled and not really with in the entire time. Her character is important because although she is almost oblivious to her surroundings, she continues the plot forward. Ophelia gets other characters to think about their true feelings.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Ophelia does help to show the way women were expected to be during Shakespeare's time while adding romance and drama to the plot. Ophelia may not be a critical character, however, I feel that her presence brings out more in Hamlet's character. Shakespeare could have just had Hamlet completely focused on vengence, but he chose to include Ophelia. With Ophelia, Hamlet is not only vengeful, he is a young man conflicted with his desire for her as well as his responsibility to his family and kingdom.
ReplyDeleteOphelia is essential to the story because of her role in the characterization of Hamlet. She also serves as an intermediary between her father and Hamlet. Along with the Queen, Ophelia serves as the object of Hamlet's anger towards women in general.
ReplyDeleteI think that Ophelia is mainly in the storyline to move it forward, and also to give Hamlet a reason to be crazy. She starts to change some of the ways Hamlet thinks about women.
ReplyDeleteOphelia seems to be a very controlled and manipulated character. In this story she is used to show certain characters personal feelings, actions, and treatment of others. Despite being tightly controlled by those around her, Ophelia still seems like a strong person.
ReplyDeleteOphelia is a "useful" character for multiple reasons. Hamlet's love for her brings Polonius and Laertes into the story and adds more layers to the story of Hamlet seekin g or not seeking revenge. That love of course gives another possible reason for his "madness" and advances the plot.
ReplyDeleteOphelia is introduced as a character that's very protected and easily persuaded. She brings out qualities in her father and brother that may not have been seen without, so maybe she's in the story in part to show some dynamics in character traits. I also agree with what most are saying about how Ophelia is a cover for Hamlet's crazy. He wants some attention drawn to himself, but if he's "crazy in love" rather than just crazy, Hamlet may be able to buy some more time with Claudius and the investigation of him.
ReplyDeleteOphelia is an essential character in hamlet because she connects Polonius and Laertes closely to Hamlet . She also displays emotions that the play lacked , such as love. Without her , the play would have a static emotional flow.
ReplyDeleteOphelia is very significant in Hamlet because she is basically like a symbol. Yes she is treated like a doll and everyone thinks her to be very delicate. But I think if people took the time to go further in depth with her character she might be a strong women who wants to help others and not always listen to the men in her life. I think her character is included in the play because it gives the reader something else to consider when Hamlet is acting a little crazy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Santos. If Ophelia wasnt there the play would lack feeling. I also feel like Ophelia represents everything Hamlet was before the death of his father, kinda went along with whatever he was told to do, was very trusting ect.
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