Sasha Newman-Oktan
Ms. Kuch
ENG 4U
31 July, 2014
Minor Characters, Major Sufferings: A Comparison of Ophelia and Laertes in Hamlet
Of the many themes present throughout the play of "Hamlet" (Shakespeare), such as revenge and madness, suffering is a key theme that not only prevails throughout the whole play, but is critical to the play's plot, in particular when applied to the characters. In the play, most all of the major characters including Gertrude, Claudius, Hamlet, the ghost of Hamlet's father, Laertes and lastly Ophelia, undergo some sort of personal suffering. The use of woe in these characters by Shakespeare produce the definition of tragedy as it is known today. In revenge tragedies, suffering for the hero and innocent characters is inevitable. In …show more content…
Hamlet's anger is detrimental to the people who surround him, and through his human flaws, Prince Hamlet commits to arguably inhumane actions, leading to the death and suffering of minor characters Laertes, and to a greater extent, Laertes' sister Ophelia.
Ophelia suffers greatly due to Hamlet's mistreatment of her, and ultimately chooses to end her life in her state of induced madness. Hamlet is verbally abusive to Ophelia seen when he says, "I say, we will have no more marriages./ Those that are married already, all but one, shall live. / The rest shall keep as they are. / To a nunnery, go." (3.1.9) This in Elizabethan times was a very strong insult, and it is clear that Ophelia struggles with herself after this is said to her. He tells her their marriage is off, and that she is to go to a nunnery due to her sexual sins. She shortly after says; “And I, of ladies most
Ms. Kuch
ENG 4U
31 July, 2014
Minor Characters, Major Sufferings: A Comparison of Ophelia and Laertes in Hamlet
Of the many themes present throughout the play of "Hamlet" (Shakespeare), such as revenge and madness, suffering is a key theme that not only prevails throughout the whole play, but is critical to the play's plot, in particular when applied to the characters. In the play, most all of the major characters including Gertrude, Claudius, Hamlet, the ghost of Hamlet's father, Laertes and lastly Ophelia, undergo some sort of personal suffering. The use of woe in these characters by Shakespeare produce the definition of tragedy as it is known today. In revenge tragedies, suffering for the hero and innocent characters is inevitable. In …show more content…
Hamlet's anger is detrimental to the people who surround him, and through his human flaws, Prince Hamlet commits to arguably inhumane actions, leading to the death and suffering of minor characters Laertes, and to a greater extent, Laertes' sister Ophelia.
Ophelia suffers greatly due to Hamlet's mistreatment of her, and ultimately chooses to end her life in her state of induced madness. Hamlet is verbally abusive to Ophelia seen when he says, "I say, we will have no more marriages./ Those that are married already, all but one, shall live. / The rest shall keep as they are. / To a nunnery, go." (3.1.9) This in Elizabethan times was a very strong insult, and it is clear that Ophelia struggles with herself after this is said to her. He tells her their marriage is off, and that she is to go to a nunnery due to her sexual sins. She shortly after says; “And I, of ladies most