Ophelia: begining character work -- Great Books II

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Date Posted: 20:50:26 02/20/08 Wed
Author: keder
Subject: Ophelia: begining character work

Who is Ophelia?

Who is Ophelia?
Ophelia is a tool in the hands of her father; she is loved by her brother and was once loved by Hamlet, but who really cares for Ophelia? Laertes is probably the closest in loving her for herself. Gertrude too, seems to actually care for Ophelia as more than a puppet or tool. But who is herself? She is not strong willed, she lets herself be used. Is she frightened by her prospects, or is she simply indifferent? Did she love Hamlet? Or did she simply respond to his advances? If she did love him, what would she make of his rejection of her? And even more so, what is she thinking when she responds to his extremely offensive comments during the plays? Is she humoring a mad man? Is she a hurt woman who is steeling herself? Is she in danger of lashing back out at him? Is she egging him on with her replies? Or is she passive and replying at face value? I don�t think she�s a very strong willed character, she lets herself be lead. I think she grew attached to Hamlet because he was there and she knew him perhaps from childhood. Maybe he was very kind to her at one point, and there was obviously a time when he wrote to her expressing his care and affection. Did she fall for him intentionally and fully knowing what she was doing, or does she even really love him at all? Is she capable of passion? She seems so hollow at times. Not shallow, but hollow, as if there was no real life in her. She and Gertrude share this trait. I think she falls into his arms because there is no other place to go, and she wants love. Would this be a key as to why she goes mad like she does? Since her father is gone, she has no parent (we assume her mother is dead, that could be part of her instability, review family connections role models) and her brother is gone. She is apparently friendless and the only person who has professed to love her for herself in a way that truly matters to her has left the country and before he left he renounced his affections for her, called her a slut, and murdered her father. He is also apparently stark raving mad. Now on that note, she really does care for Hamlet as a person! She cries not that he has left her, but that such a noble mind as his has been overthrown. Perhaps this is why she answers as calmly as she does when he insults her like he does, she thinks he is not in full power of his mind and that it is not the real Hamlet that is saying these things. I guess it�s important to think about Hamlets idea of Ophelia at this point. Does he hate her? Does he reject her because he thinks she is a slut? Or because he thinks his mother is a slut and he connects all women with his mother? Has Ophelia slept with Hamlet? I vacillate on this point. I think yes on some occasions, and no at others.

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Replies:

Re: Ophelia: begining character work -- John Klingner (my alias plays Boggle for fun), 23:02:44 02/22/08 Fri