Examine Shakespeare's presentation of Ophelia and how a modern audience might respond to her
Examine Shakespeare's presentation of Ophelia and how a modern audience might respond to her. "Ophelia's main function in the play is to illuminate a particular facet of Hamlet's decline." This was noted by Angela Pitt. We can see that throughout Hamlet, this is very true. Ophelia is presented as a character of secondary importance, not only to the plot, but also to other characters. This can be seen by her relationship with her father, Polonius, and her brother, Laertes, and also with Hamlet. Nowadays, a modern reader may find the world she lives in oppressive to women, and this is alien to a post-feminist society. However, to a Shakespearean audience this would be normal. Women were almost second-class citizens, and had no real rights of their own. Even though Queen Elizabeth I was in charge of England, this did not fit in with the conventions of the time. It is said that a woman who saw Elizabeth I pass her a royal procession said, "Oh Lord! The Queen is a woman!" Despite the different titles of "King" and "Queen" being masculine and feminine, it was simply unthinkable for a figure of authority to be anything but male. Ophelia is written in a way that was common with the time it was set, which was in 1603. In Act 1 Scene 3, Ophelia is getting advice from her brother, Laertes. Rex Gibson commented, "Women's status and roles were subject to the tyranny of patriarchy." We
Examine Shakespeare's Presentation of Ophelia and how a modern audience might respond to her
EXAMINE SHAKESPEARE'S PRESENTATION OF OPHELIA AND HOW A MODERN AUDIENCE MIGHT RESPOND TO HER. Throughout the play, Ophelia is treated as an inferior by the men in her life. She is instructed and also used by them to achieve their own selfish goals. As Rex Gibson states, Shakespearean women were 'virtually helpless pawns in the power games of their main relatives.' Her tone towards them is most often submissive and accepting of their commands, although the audience is given occasional glimpses of the seemingly intelligent and opinionated young woman beneath her clichéd exterior. In the play, she is merely a side story. She has no particular role in the play rather than to reflect the traits of other characters, and this secondary importance to the plot reflects Shakespeare's presentation of her. Upon Ophelia's first appearance in the play, it becomes obvious that she and her brother have a close relationship. Laertes tells Ophelia, 'let me hear from you', to which she replies 'Do you doubt that?' Laertes mentions Hamlet as a cause for concern, 'weigh what loss your honour may sustain, If with too credent ear you list his songs, Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open To his unmastered importunity.' He believes that Hamlet's intentions are dishonourable. He is quick to form this opinion, and as he feels he knows Hamlet's true motives, this suggests that men of
Hamlets princely qualities are praised by Ophelia - discuss
Hamlets princely qualities are praised by Ophelia in Act 3 sc 1, but she expresses her despair because the hamlet that she once knew has changed 'the courtiers, soldiers, scholars eye, tongue sword, the expectancy and rose of the fair state, the glass of fashion, and the mould of form th' 'observ'd of all observers." With the death of his father and the hasty, incestuous remarriage of his mother to his uncle, Hamlet is thrown into a suicidal frame of mind and for much of the play; he is withdrawn from society and therefore does not willingly participate in courtly life. His skills as a soldier are also rarely witnessed and it is not until the end of the play that he finally gains his position as a warrior. His scholarly skills are never in any doubt, however, and it is because of his constant philosophizing that he delays taking action to avenge his fathers death. From the beginning of the play, Hamlets behaviour seems directly opposite to that of the other courtiers. His outward appearance displays all the 'forms, moods and shapes of grief', he is alone, dressed in an 'inky cloak', mourning the recent death of his father and although it would have been customary to wear black for at least a year after the death of a king, the rest of the court seem to have failed to observe a proper period of mourning. Instead, within a month of old Hamlets death, Gertrude has hastily
How does Shakespeare present Ophelia and the men in her life, in "Hamlet"?
How does Shakespeare present Ophelia and the men in her life, in "Hamlet"? In "Hamlet" Shakespeare presents Ophelia as a helpless girl, who is continually manipulated by the men around her for their own gain. In many of his other plays the women are presented as strong and admirable people who play major roles in the live of the protagonist, such as Lady Macbeth in "Macbeth." In Hamlet, however, Ophelia becomes a very different role-she is conveyed as a lesser to the men around her. She is continually manipulated by her father, Polonius, her brother, Larertes and Hamlet, the supposed love of her life. Her sweet and innocent nature results in her becoming dependent on the man in her life to tell her how to behave. Hamlet shows a very different style in Shakespeare writing, no longer is the women controversially given respect by the male character, but is instead shown in a more traditional mere pawn for their fathers, brothers and lovers. Ophelia's relationship with her father is less then the traditional intimate one expected. Instead it shows a controlling man, obsessed with what others think, and a daughter respectful of her fathers wises. Polonius becomes convinced that Ophelia's relationship with Hamlet will result in the diminish of his families honour, and to him, the respect others have for his families reputation is very important. He thus begins to pressurise
This conventional form of insanity can be directly attributed to the character of Ophelia.
"Though I am not splentative and rash / Yet have I in me something dangerous (line 283; Act V Sc. i)." Madness, as seen in its conventional sense is most commonly associated with a loss of the ability to reason and think rationally. This conventional form of insanity can be directly attributed to the character of Ophelia. Ophelia grew up completely dependent on the overwhelming outside influences surrounding her and as a result, was unable to think independently for herself. Once these outside influences disappeared, Ophelia was unable to corralle her circumstances and therefore lost the ability function normally in her and society. Hamlet madness was developed under different circumstances from those of Ophelia. In contrast to Ophelia, Hamlet became mad through his overly developed rational. Through his intense intellectual interpretations, Hamlet exceeded his mental capacity. In essence, Ophelia's madness is a result of her lack of reason while Hamlets' results from his overly developed ability to reason. Ophelia is clearly a product of her environment. Carol Neely She has grown up without a mother and was ruled by the men around her. She has been brought up to accept orders and not form her own opinions. Her father and brother feel that it is their duty to dictate her "moral, intellectual, even psychological development"(Neely, 2) They remain blind to the
Examine Hamlet's Relationship with Gertrude & Ophelia in light of the comment 'Frailty thy name is woman'.
Examine Hamlet's Relationship with Gertrude & Ophelia in light of the comment 'Frailty thy name is woman'. At the beginning of the play, during Hamlet's first soliloquy, Hamlet contemplates suicide because he is so furious with his mother for marrying Claudius within a month of his father's death. This is when Hamlet comments, 'frailty thy name is woman' to express his bitter feelings towards his mother for not only the speed of her remarriage and betrayal of his father, but the 'dexterity to incestuous sheets'. The situation, and Hamlet's reaction to it, is a trigger of an increasing negative attitude towards all women, viewing them as weak. It is shown through his relationships with Gertrude and Ophelia. The audience learn through the other characters that Hamlet has shown affections towards Ophelia; whether they are genuine and lasting feelings is uncertain as Leartes advices Ophelia that they are not. Leartes asks Ophelia to 'hold it a fashion, and a toy in blood;/ A violet in the youth of primary nature.' Leartes not only says that Hamlet's feeling towards Ophelia is short-lived nonsense of his youth but highlights that 'for he himself is subject to his birth'. Polonius also echoes a negative portrayal of Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia as he advises her to 'be somewhat scaner of your maiden presence'. Ophelia sees that Hamlet's feelings are genuine as he
While not a major protagonist or agent in the play, Ophelia is nonetheless a key figure in 'Hamlet'
While not a major protagonist or agent in the play, Ophelia is nonetheless a key figure in 'Hamlet' Although Ophelia is not a main character in the revenge tragedy 'Hamlet' her dramatic purpose is vital to the play. It emphasizes the poisoned body politic and its affects on the innocent. The role of women in the sixteenth century is to be obedient and dutiful, the only way to accomplish this was to be passive. Women in the sixteenth century were meant to be obedient to their fathers, for they were their property until such a time came when she was married, it would then be her husband to whom her duties lied. Denmark is in a state of chaos shown by the opening death of the true King Hamlet who was murdered by his own brother Claudius, Claudius then seduced his brothers wife and took over the thrown of Denmark. Due to this chaos innocence, loyalties and love are corrupted and all that was good and dutiful falls into darkness under the ruling of evil. Ophelia is a women of the court her duty is to her father Polonius, and her brother Laertes. It is her fathers intentions to marry Ophelia off to a suitable and profitable match. We first meet Ophelia whilst she is saying farewell to her active brother, Laertes, who is going with friends to university leaving Ophelia with only her father to tend to her needs. Unlike her brother, Ophelia is passive, a dutiful daughter and
Evaluate how the portrayal of Gertrude and Ophelia could be influenced by the sources available to Shakespeare.
Evaluate how the portrayal of Gertrude and Ophelia could be influenced by the sources available to Shakespeare. In this day and age, for a play to be plausible and enjoyable, women have to be included substantially in the plot. Our society is no longer patriarchal or male driven, but in the Elizabethan era things were different. The role of women was radically changing as the public were beginning to realise the power of Elizabeth I and this directly affected English Literature which had began to also focus on women. Yet Shakespeare gave small and insignificant roles to Gertrude and Ophelia in Hamlet. As said by Judith Cook, they appear to be 'somewhat spiritless creatures' when likened to the major greats of Shakespearian theatre like Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra, Portia and Rosalind who at times show great strength of character and independence of spirit. However, it is quite certain from his plays that had Shakespeare wanted Gertrude and Ophelia to be more important in 'Hamlet', he would have given them much more substance and much more dialogue. However, for a modern director, it is important to understand what role Gertrude and Ophelia play; although Shakespeare may not have wanted them to be the protagonists, they are still essential to the plot. Part of Hamlet's madness and his jealousy towards his uncle is due to his mother taking Claudius to her 'incestuous sheets,' and
Women in Hamlet. The only two female characters in Hamlet are Gertrude, Hamlets mother, and Ophelia
The Portrayal of Women in Hamlet By: Fatima Salman Shakespeare's Hamlet is a firmly structured revenge tragedy revolving around Hamlet, the male protagonist. Due to the restrictions of the genre, the other characters must remain peripheral to Hamlet leaving many aspects of their stories and mannerisms underdeveloped and shrouded with ambiguity. This is more so the case with the female roles as they would have been initially played by young boys who would have not been able to communicate the complexities of a woman making it harder to understand their characters. The only two female characters in Hamlet are Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, and Ophelia, his lover where questions of their sexual conduct frequently arise. For Gertrude, it is the question of weather she committed adultery or if Hamlet's accusations are only related to her hasty marriage. At the start we see that Hamlet is troubled by his mother's hasty marriage to his uncle, in his first soliloquy he describes this as "incestuous" and with "wicked speed!" these words hint at a moral wrong-doing to emphasize Hamlet's disapproval. Hamlet also makes the comparison of his father being a "Hyperian" to Claudius as a "Satyr" demonstrating his disgust at his mother's choice. After this, he personifies weakness to be a woman, where he concludes, "frailty thy name is woman!" wherein his mother's conduct has damaged
“I think nothing my lord” - How do you respond to the presentation Of Ophelia in Hamlet?
"I think nothing my lord" How do you respond to the presentation Of Ophelia in Hamlet? Many critics respond to Ophelia, by splitting her into two different characters either, an "innocent pawn" or a "wanton whore. Question! Can you define any of Shakespeare's character? With Ophelia this becomes more difficult as she is only in 5 scenes throughout the play. This gives her an irrepressible air of mystery, which surrounds her and her actions. This has led to the contrasting and conflicting views on her character, the why she is to be played and her context due to this. The debate on Ophelia has been wide spread throughout the arts; her name has influenced films, spins off and the world of painting. If you look at any of the great paintings of Ophelia, Waterhouse's Ophelia or O'Neil's Ophelia or the ominous work of Hebert, they all show her in her madness, categorizing her as such. The same is found in the Reduced Shakespeare company spoof of Hamlet, they play out a scene where all Ophelia does is scream. They do however touch on what makes Ophelia so interesting, that is her influence, her mind and personality. They cleverly split the audience into Ophelia's ego, super ego and other factors influencing her state of mind, the audience is given a line to shout out and a member of the audience that has already been selected to represent Ophelia screams at the end of
