Ophelia’s family’s distrust of her worth and virtue …show more content…
Throughout the book Hamlet shows the reader his unlikelihood of a real relationship with Ophelia, which she is unaware of. Ophelia believes that Hamlet loves her. In Act III Ophelia insists on returning the gifts, love poems, which Hamlet gave her. Hamlet says he never gave her presents and that he never loved her. “You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not (III.i.124-126).” Ophelia answers with she was “the more deceived.” Meaning she had no idea. She had loved this man with all her heart and hearing that Hamlet not once loved her must have broken her heart. Ophelia has done things for Hamlet with in mind that he told her he would marry her. Once she has turned crazy she states that indeed she did things with Hamlet. “indeed, without an oath ill make an end on ‘t: (sings.) By gis and by saint Charity, Alack and fie for shame…you promised me to wed…so would I’a done, by yonder sun, an thou hadst not come to my bed. She explains that he said he would have married her if she hadn’t slept with him. “Shakespeare’s Gentle Heroine” by Bertha Vanderlin says that Ophelia loved hamlet “not for what he is himself, but for that which appears to her. In her eyes he is a gentle and accomplished prince. She put her trust into the Hamlet she thought she knew. The feeling of betrayal led to her