Examples Of Ophelia's Madness In Hamlet

One definition of madness is “mental delusion of the eccentric behavior arising from it.” However, as Emily Dickinson once wrote, “Much madness is divinest Sense/ To a discerning Eye.” In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the main character, Prince Hamlet, shows apparent madness which proves to serve an important role throughout the story. This erratic behavior consists of his seemingly senseless dialogues, his loss of care for Ophelia, and his increasingly aggressive nature. Such behavior often proves justified by the play’s audience due to its convincing nature despite Hamlet’s predisposition towards insanity.

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia is portrayed as an obedient and innocent young woman. Many critics believe that these attributes represent the full extent of Ophelia’s being and that she is simply an object that moves the plot along, giving the male characters more depth. Although Ophelia may appear weak and passive at first glance, when examined at a deeper level, her character expresses strength and defiance as she overcomes the stress imposed upon her by her male superiors. In her article “Hearing Ophelia: Gender and Tragic Discourse in Hamlet,” Sandra Fischer analyzes Ophelia’s silence in the play, describing her inability to express her opinions against the loud male characters. While Fischer recognizes Ophelia’s battle, she fails to see her power as she voices her opinions and stands up against the male patriarchy.

Hamlet’s cowardness and unsureness are what in the end cause the downfall of characters near to him. Hamlet is so entrapped in the idea of “madness” that he fails to see what he is shutting out. He killed Polonius Ophelia’s father and told the love of his life that he did not love her. This led to the insanity expressed by Ophelia and to her death. “I loved Ophelia.

As the innocent victim of Hamlet’s feigned madness, Ophelia’s insanity is a product of her inability to cope with Hamlet and her father’s death. Her songs show hidden grief and sorrow; her flowers represent the fact that beneath the innocent exterior, there is a weakness or flaw in everyone. Hamlet was able to look past his grief for his father’s death, but he caused someone he loves to be in pain. Whether it is the frailty of women, sorrow, or death, anything, including love, can appear to be pleasant, but can be the ultimate cause of a person’s

Polonius explains Hamlet 's madness to Claudius and Gertrude, “Mad call I it, for, to define true madness. What it 't but to be nothing else but mad? But let that go (Act 2, Scene 2, lines 93-94). Polonius then goes on to describe his ides of the stages of Hamlet 's madness and his inability to sleep, “And he, repelled-a short tale to make- Fell into a sadness, then into a fast, Thence to a watch, thence into a weakness, Thence to a lightness, and by this declension Into the madness wherein now he raves, And all we mourn for” (Act 2, Scene 2, lines 146-151).

In Shakespeare’s novel, Hamlet, many characters were introduced as monumental pieces that made up the work as a whole. One significant character was Ophelia, daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, and lover of Hamlet. As much of the book was based around the plot of revenge, madness was a key description of the book’s identity and to which was passed to beloved and harmless Ophelia. Ophelia’s madness and loss of self conscious is significant as it shows the side of lost identity, the weak mind, and the negative influence of a life condemned to dictatorship. Although the madness and eventual death of Ophelia can be surfaced to the grief of her losses, it could also be used to introduced as a breakthrough in gendered stereotypes and serve a comparison on

Nancy Andreasen an American neuroscientist examines the reasons why people suffer from schizophrenia and concluded “…schizophrenia is produced by the influence of multiple factors that lead to the final pathway in the brain” (Andresen, 133). Ophelia’s transformation from an obedient girl to a senile woman is a result of the following three factors. The constant exploitation by her fathers commands results in the deterioration of her mental state of mind. His manipulation is evident as he forbids her from communicating and have a relationship with Hamlet, “…Have you so slander any moment leisure, / As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet./ Look to ’t, I charge you…” (I.III.140-143) Ophelia’s madness is a result of her desperation for freedom as her father constraints her from liberation.

Hamlet once again fails to understand that Ophelia much like himself is only trying to stay loyal to her father, much like what he is doing himself. In addition, Hamlet blames woman for giving birth to such evil and deceiving men like Claudius and himself. When he was talking to Ophelia he told her "Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better

After he ran into Ophelia’s room with strange manners, she immediately report to Polonius about what was going on. Then Polonius assumed that Ophelia is the cause of Hamlet’s unusual acts and used her as a bait to spy on Hamlet for King Claudius and Queen Gertrude. At last, Polonius payed for his own debt, he resulted

Ophelia is grieving the loss of her father after Hamlet kills him. Ophelia doesn't know that Hamlet killed her father. But Ophelia has gone mad from learning about her father's death. Also, after Hamlet telling Ophelia that she needs to go to a nunnery, Ophelia is a little bit discouraged. She is discouraged because Hamlet had told her before that if Ophelia would sleep with him that they would get married.

Just one of these traumatic events could make a character go mad, but the combination of the three justifies Ophelia’s madness. The use of these three tragic events in Ophelia’s life makes her madness reasonable. The first event to happen that changes Ophelia’s demeanor is her relationship problems with her boyfriend, Hamlet. In Act III, Scene I of the play, Ophelia says to Hamlet “My lord, I have remembrances of yours, That I have longed long

Hamlet has not only become distraught from his conniving and lying stepfather but also his mother, Queen Gertrude as well. The unfaithfulness that Gertrude shows to Hamlet’s father and Hamlet has a toll on him and plays a part in his insanity. The facade that Hamlet displays slowly leads to his insanity, causing him to show mistreated love towards Ophelia. In the beginning of the play, Ophelia displays a very honest

Saying this, Hamlet’s behavior towards Ophelia is crude, rough, and full of anger. Despite Hamlet’s harsh treatment towards Ophelia, he really did love her, but because she was not his main focus, the

As a young woman of the 1600’s Ophelia is most likely unaware of the patriarchy that shadows above her. “I do not know my lord, what should I think?”. Ophelia is so unsure about her affair with Hamlet that she

In the “nunnery scene” which is played in Hamlet, Ophelia (as per her father’s and King Claudius’ instruction) attempts to push Hamlet away. As Hamlet realizes that Ophelia is trying to cut ties with him, his mood changes from sweet and loving to angry and sour. In a fit of rage Hamlet curses Ophelia’s name, ruins her name in a public setting and leaves her, upset (and crying in most adaptations) as she expresses her sorrow about having to leave Hamlet. In Ophelia’s soliloquy following her interaction with Hamlet, Ophelia mourns the loss of her ‘one true love’ and the way that Hamlet was behaving.