How does Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship evolves throughout the play of 'Hamlet'?
In this essay I will consider how Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship evolves throughout the play of "Hamlet" and whether their love was real and true. I will be looking at Act 2 Scene 1, Act 3 Scene 1, Act 3 Scene 2 and Act 5 Scene 1. I have chosen these scenes because in these four scenes, Hamlet and Ophelia are either talking to each other, or they are talking about the other. I think Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship is essential to the plot because if Ophelia hadn't gone mad and died, along with Polonius being murdered by Hamlet, then Laertes wouldn't have poisoned Hamlet. The poisoning of Hamlet also leads to Claudius, Gertrude, and Laertes dying. In Act 2 Scene 1, Ophelia goes to find her father. She has been frightened by Hamlet, she describes how he came into her room. He didn't say anything, but he was obviously upset. In the lines, "Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other, and with a look so piteous in purport" Ophelia seems worried for him, like she pities him. The way Ophelia describes Hamlet's clothing, "Lord Hamlet with his doublet unbraced, No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled, Ungartered, and down-gyved to his ankle" is the stereotype of the lover that has been cast aside. This indicates that his main objective in visiting Ophelia is to use Ophelia to convince others that his insanity was not due to any mysterious unknown cause, i.e. Old Hamlet's
Hamlet Coursework: Is Hamlet alone responsible for Ophelias death? - WJEC English Lit. CW
Hamlet Coursework: Is Hamlet alone responsible for Ophelia's death? As we progress through the play, we discover different people who could be held responsible for Ophelia's death. At the beginning of the play, it seems as if Hamlet is solely responsible for her death, however as we progress we see how different people had a part to play in the cause of her death. In Act 1 Scene 3, we see Ophelia's relationship with both her brother and her father, as they warn Ophelia against her interaction with Hamlet. Firstly she speaks with her brother, Laertes, about her relationship with Hamlet. Laertes states that if Hamlet says he loves you 'it fits your wisdom so far to believe him'. This is saying to Ophelia that she is naive and this is because she has never experienced matters like this before, however while he is saying this he is not being patronising as such. This shows us that although he is trying to protect her, but he also doesn't trust her judgement entirely. From this and the fact Laertes states that Ophelia should 'Fear it, my dear sister', by it he is referring to Hamlets apparent feelings towards her, we can see that he feels protective over her. This portrays to us that their relationship is one of trust, and close friendship. Rather than instruct her in a patronizing manner, he speaks to her in a way that is kind and yet explains what he is trying to tell her.
A detailed analysis of Act 3, Scene 1 of Hamlet.
A detailed analysis of Act 3, Scene 1 So far in the play, Hamlets madness has been causing people worry. He is acting mad so he can have revenge on Claudius. Polonius suspects he has gone mad because Ophelia has rejected his love. Claudius isn't sure that's the reason. The scene is focused on Polonius and Claudius carrying out their plan to spy on Hamlet. Polonius and Claudius hide behind a curtain to listen to Ophelia talking to Hamlet. They do this to see if Ophelia is really why Hamlet has gone mad. Polonius says " at such a time I'll lose my daughter to him. Be you and I behind an arras then" Gertrude and Ophelia don't know anything about the plan. The play doesn't say if Ophelia overhears Claudius. Claudius and polonius tell Gertrude " we have closely sent for Hamlet hither, that he, as 'twere by accident, may here affront Ophelia." If Ophelia did overhear she might be part of the plan because she wants to find out what's wrong with Hamlet or she wants to obey her father. Ophelia shows her obedience when she says, " I shall obey, my lord" The women of the time were expected to be obedient and chaste. Ophelia is shown accurately. It seems strange that Polonius disapproved of their relationship. He disapproves because Hamlet is part of the royal family and because he thinks Hamlet is using Ophelia. In this scene the Queen offers her approval she seems to even wish for
Discuss the nature of hamlet and Ophelias relationship and how it could be displayed to an audience.
Natalie Oughton Discuss the nature of hamlet and Ophelias relationship and how it could be displayed to an audience The relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia is extremely hard to read, they are seldom together and when they are, they are acting under the influence of others. In this essay I will discuss Hamlet and Ophelias relationship and the fact that I believe from the beginning of the play that there was no hope for the relationship to flourish. I think that the main downfall of their relationship was the outside influences that acted upon them and their union. I also think that there were smaller contributing factors that I will also take into account. Hamlet and Ophelias relationship, to me, didn't seem predominantly sexual, i think they had a genuine love for one another and making love is just a natural part of any healthy relationship. During discussion in class a lot of my peers thought that the relationship was completely sexual, I think that by watching the production we saw in Birmingham this was an easy assessment to make, as the director had Hamlet rape Ophelia in the scene in which Ophelia returns Hamlets letters. I didn't agree with this because Ophelia seems to me to be a very naïve and innocent character, I believe this because Ophelia seems to need men to make all her decisions for her, the rape scene does emphasise the fact that men make all her
Examine how Shakespeare explores the role of women in Hamlet. What might the response of a modern audience be to this aspect of the play?
AS English Literature Coursework: Examine how Shakespeare explores the role of women in Hamlet. What might the response of a modern audience be to this aspect of the play? Gertrude and Ophelia, the only two women in Hamlet, reflect the general status of women in Elizabethan Times. Women were suppressed by the males in their lives (brothers, fathers, and partners) and were always inferior. Ophelia and Gertrude have little or no power due to restricted legal, social and economic rights that were found in Elizabethan society. The male characters in Hamlet reflect this sexist view point, represented by Hamlet's judgement that "frailty, thy name is woman". This view was not uncommon in Shakespeare's time and heavily influenced Shakespeare to present women the way he does in Hamlet. In a critical essay, Judith Cook1 noted that in many of Shakespeare's plays major women characters 'die because of direct association with the fate of a tragic hero'. This could be seen as Shakespeare trying to convey women's fate being a 'by-product' of the fate of men- men are superior. On the other hand, Ophelia is crucial in understanding Hamlet as a character and gives an insight into different motifs of the play. Some may argue that Ophelia is one of the causes of Hamlet's 'madness' and his recoil from love. The reaction Hamlet has to Ophelia, at the play for example, allows us to watch Hamlet's
Hamlet- What is the dramatic significance of the nunnery scene?
Hamlet- What is the dramatic significance of the nunnery scene? In the play of Hamlet the nunnery scene (Act 3 scene1) is a very important part of the plot. It develops both characters and themes, it brings new bits of information and it connects the start and end of the play together. In this scene we see Hamlet express the emotions he has and we see him acting on his anger. When Hamlet says to Ophelia near the start of the scene, "..... I never gave you aught," he is denying ever giving Ophelia any gifts and at this point in the play I think Hamlet is taunting Ophelia as a way to get attention rather than acting angry. However, some readers may think he is just taking out his anger on Ophelia by mocking her as he does at many other points in the play, such as Act 3 scene 2, where Hamlet is confusing and embarrassing Ophelia by making sexual comments:" Lady, shall I lie in your lap....", but I think the way Hamlet addresses Ophelia shows that he is not angry with her but is demanding her attention. The quote, "I never gave you aught," suggests that he is talking to Ophelia and to show this Shakespeare uses the word 'you' in this speech, whereas in the rest of the scene he talks to her as if he is talking about all women. Ophelia is portrayed as a delicate and caring character and when she says, "And with them words of so sweet breath composed as made these things more
Explore the themes and techniques of the Nunnery scene in Hamlet
Explore the themes and techniques of the Nunnery scene in 'Hamlet' 'Hamlet', a play by William Shakespeare, is probably the most popular of Shakespeare's play. It has been adapted into ten films and numerous TV productions and stage plays making it the most adapted plays out all of Shakespeare's works. One of the most famous scenes in 'Hamlet' is the Nunnery scene. This scene proves to be a pinnacle point in the play as prior to the nunnery scene Hamlet recites his most famous speech "To be or not to be". The nunnery scene is what defines the play as it highlights the deceit and the betrayal which is apparent throughout the whole play. What remains elusive is the disposition of Hamlet. Is he mad? Is he sexist? All of these attributes were hinted at during the Nunnery scene but were not actually revealed. The relevance to the time period in which the play was written will be analysed so as to understand the influences behind 'Hamlet' as a whole. One thing that one should acknowledge is the fact that the tragedy that is Hamlet is based on deceit. Hamlet has found out from the ghost of his father that he was murdered by his brother Claudius (Hamlet's uncle). Naturally, Hamlet has sworn revenge, especially since Claudius has married his mother Gertrude. Therefore, he has been betrayed by his uncle and his mother who married his uncle in less than a month after his father's
'Frailty Thy Name is Woman' How does Shakespeare present women and sex in Hamlet?
'Frailty, thy name is woman.' How does Shakespeare present women and sex in 'Hamlet'? At the beginning of Hamlet, Hamlet is reprimanded by Claudius because of grieving for his father, King Hamlet. Claudius calls Hamlet unmanly 'Of impious stubbornness, 'tis unmanly grief.' Claudius' use of the word 'Unmanly' suggests Hamlet is frail like a woman, this shows in Hamlet not just women are weak in this play but men also display forms of frailty. Claudius' use of the word 'unmanly' surely suggests Hamlet is feminine, and if Hamlet is feminine surely as a man, that also makes him weak. The phrase 'Frailty, thy name is woman,' appears in Hamlet's first soliloquy. Here Hamlet condemns Gertrude, his mother, for having a swift remarriage to his uncle, Claudius. In 'Hamlet' Shakespeare presents women as the weaker sex, used for the purpose of men's satisfaction sexually. For a woman to consider, or commit a sexual deed, it is seen as corruption. Today, a modern audience may see Hamlet's, Polonius' and Laertes' actions toward Gertrude and Ophelia as a form of sexual abuse. Women were the victims of a Patriarchal society, corrupted by sex and hated by misogynistic men. Patriarchy describes a social structure where the behaviour and ideas of men and boys are overriding over those of women and girls. This situation of male authority is reflected in correlative unfairness throughout the
Hamlet Movie Paper
Chelsea Menser DE English Roark November 13, 2008 Innocence Hides Shame Books or plays that are made into movies often differ from the original. Franco Zeffirelli does not sway from this statement in his movie, Hamlet (1991), made of Shakespeare's 16th century play, Hamlet. He uses costumes and makeup, lighting, and changes from the original script to portray an innocence of Ophelia (Helena Bonham Carter). In the movie, after the death of Polonius, Ophelia goes to talk to Queen Gertrude about it. Depicted as a victim of the wrongdoings of men, Ophelia loses the original sense of remorse brought about in the play. Zeffirelli depicts Ophelia in a unique, childlike fashion. He then uses different types of lighting to stress features that were not obvious in the text. Zeffirelli also cuts out parts of the script, causing the scene to be less dramatic. Due to the lessened dramatization of the scene, the death of a woman is taken more lightly. This may potentially be evidence that in society, women are not regarded as highly as men are. In the beginning of the scene, Zeffirelli portrays Ophelia as being very childish, using clothing and makeup. Children are often seen as innocent, ensuring the innocence of Ophelia which is not clear in the play. Her hair is down, messy, and tangled, and looks as if it had not been brushed in a long while. She is unable to care for
Discussing Hamlets speach with Polonius.
HAMLET "Farewell, Ophelia, and remember well What I have said to you." Line 88,Act 1 Sc 111. "Tis in my memory locked, And you yourself shall the keep the key of it. Line 90 Act 1 Sc 11.These were the last words Laertes and Ophelia exchanged before he left to France. It is when Polonius hears these words that he asks Ophelia what Laertes meant when he said, "Remember well What I have said to you". Ophelia then tells her father that it was about her relationship with Hamlet. Polonius then questions Ophelia about this so-called relationship. Which then brings me to speech Polonius and Ophelia have Act 1 Scene 3 Lines 122-143 which I have based my essay own. I will go in depth and explain different characteristics of this speech. This whole speech between Polonius and Ophelia, though Polonius does most of the talking. I think it would be fairly accurate to say that he is actually lecturing Ophelia. Polonius is telling Ophelia that Hamlet is no good and also telling Ophelia that she shouldn't give in to Hamlet so easily. Polonius in this speech also reveals to the reader what his true feelings of Hamlet are. From this speech we can imply that Polonius is very concerned about Ophelia's relationship with Hamlet. Shakespeare uses Metaphors, Similes, Alteration, and Personifications in Polonius'speech s to stress Hamlet's faults and Ophelia's personality as well. The speech
