William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a compelling story filled with suffering, revenge, and manipulation. While these aspects come together to create a memorable and thought-provoking play, they also result in the downfall of various characters. With these individuals, Shakespeare shows that it is not necessarily one’s actions, but instead it is their situation that decides whether they lose it all. In the play, victims do not meet their end due to their own actions, but due to the manipulations of other individuals. Ophelia, Gertrude, and even Hamlet himself are all victims in this play that become casualties in other character’s pursuit of their own ends.
One of the multiple manipulated victims in Hamlet is the character Ophelia. She is shown to be loyal, and even a little naïve, but these characteristics are not enough for her to have a fortunate end. Instead, …show more content…
Such as when her forces her to end her relationship with Hamlet. He does this when he instructs her, “I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth / Have you so slander any moment leisure / As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet” (I. iii. 141-143). On the surface this could be seen as Polonius protecting his daughter, but it is much more likely that he is trying to protect his own reputation. Ophelia truly believes that she has a strong relationship with Hamlet, but Polonius ruins her chances at love to protect himself. However, this is not the only instance of Ophelia being used. In addition to being manipulated by her father, Ophelia is also manipulated by Hamlet. Hamlet’s quest for revenge drives him to convince everyone else that he is insane, and his first step in doing this is through convincing Ophelia. She is the first one he meets when
One of the multiple manipulated victims in Hamlet is the character Ophelia. She is shown to be loyal, and even a little naïve, but these characteristics are not enough for her to have a fortunate end. Instead, …show more content…
Such as when her forces her to end her relationship with Hamlet. He does this when he instructs her, “I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth / Have you so slander any moment leisure / As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet” (I. iii. 141-143). On the surface this could be seen as Polonius protecting his daughter, but it is much more likely that he is trying to protect his own reputation. Ophelia truly believes that she has a strong relationship with Hamlet, but Polonius ruins her chances at love to protect himself. However, this is not the only instance of Ophelia being used. In addition to being manipulated by her father, Ophelia is also manipulated by Hamlet. Hamlet’s quest for revenge drives him to convince everyone else that he is insane, and his first step in doing this is through convincing Ophelia. She is the first one he meets when