A wise woman called Pat Benatar once said that love is a battlefield. Hamlet’s love for Ophelia could be compared to a war because he fights for her, acts rudely to her, and uses her as an outlet for his anger. His emotions placed upon her are not to be taken as what they seem to be as he is incapable of properly showing his love. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet’s internal hardship conflicts with his relationship with Ophelia, however he truly loved her. Hamlet had the most anger towards Ophelia because she is the person Hamlet cared the most about. One example of Hamlet’s cruelty to Ophelia is when Hamlet slanders Ophelia by degrading her character (3.1.121-130). He calls her a slut and a whore and tells her she should
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Near the beginning of the play, Hamlet and Ophelia are having a conversation and Hamlet inquires as to where her father, Polonius, is (3.1.130). Hamlet knew the answer to his own question and asked Ophelia this as a test to her loyalty, and Ophelia informs Hamlet that her father is at home when he is, in fact, hiding nearby (3.1.56). Hamlet knew Polonius was watching his every move closely, so Hamlet then erupted into the aforementioned slander of Ophelia (3.1.121-130). His goal was to trick Polonius into thinking that he hated Ophelia in order to protect her (B. Eva). Hamlet loved Ophelia too much to risk getting her involved in his drama with Claudius (B. Eva). In order to spare Ophelia, Hamlet had to disguise his true feelings of love so Polonius would lose interest in spying on them (B. Eva). Hamlet had proved that he was sorry for mistreating Ophelia when he appeared in her chamber and longingly gazed into her eyes (2.1.78-84). If it were true that his love for her was never real, he would not have gone out of his way to enter her private chamber during the late hours of the night to visit her (Bradley). Hamlet acted harsh and feigned hatred for Ophelia but he let go of his façade after her …show more content…
At Ophelia’s funeral, Hamlet and Laertes fought over whether or not Hamlet’s love for Ophelia was true (5.1.248-265). Hamlet had no reason to defend his love for Ophelia at that point, or share how devastated he was at her passing (B. Eva). If Hamlet did not ever love Ophelia he would not have tried to prove Laertes’ accusations of him not loving her wrong (B. Eva). While fighting with Laertes over Ophelia’s corpse, Hamlet further proves his love for Ophelia by naming various tasks he would have done for her (5.1.268-271). The strongest point Hamlet makes that proves he loves her is when he says he would cry for her (5.1.269). This is significant because all throughout the play Hamlet is told by many that he cannot cry as it is unmanly (1.2.68-73). At one point, Hamlet is furious at a player because the player was allowed to cry at something not real while Hamlet was not permitted to cry at his own father’s death (2.2.545-572). By saying he would cry for Ophelia (5.1.269) he is saying he would be willing to give up his own reputation at being manly and strong for Ophelia. Hamlet’s love for Ophelia was always true even after her death despite the way Hamlet expressed his feelings. Hamlet’s feelings towards Ophelia are skewed by his own inner turmoil but after some deeper analysis it becomes clear that he truly loved her. Hamlet forced his anger onto her while also pretending to hate her in order to spare her from becoming
Near the beginning of the play, Hamlet and Ophelia are having a conversation and Hamlet inquires as to where her father, Polonius, is (3.1.130). Hamlet knew the answer to his own question and asked Ophelia this as a test to her loyalty, and Ophelia informs Hamlet that her father is at home when he is, in fact, hiding nearby (3.1.56). Hamlet knew Polonius was watching his every move closely, so Hamlet then erupted into the aforementioned slander of Ophelia (3.1.121-130). His goal was to trick Polonius into thinking that he hated Ophelia in order to protect her (B. Eva). Hamlet loved Ophelia too much to risk getting her involved in his drama with Claudius (B. Eva). In order to spare Ophelia, Hamlet had to disguise his true feelings of love so Polonius would lose interest in spying on them (B. Eva). Hamlet had proved that he was sorry for mistreating Ophelia when he appeared in her chamber and longingly gazed into her eyes (2.1.78-84). If it were true that his love for her was never real, he would not have gone out of his way to enter her private chamber during the late hours of the night to visit her (Bradley). Hamlet acted harsh and feigned hatred for Ophelia but he let go of his façade after her …show more content…
At Ophelia’s funeral, Hamlet and Laertes fought over whether or not Hamlet’s love for Ophelia was true (5.1.248-265). Hamlet had no reason to defend his love for Ophelia at that point, or share how devastated he was at her passing (B. Eva). If Hamlet did not ever love Ophelia he would not have tried to prove Laertes’ accusations of him not loving her wrong (B. Eva). While fighting with Laertes over Ophelia’s corpse, Hamlet further proves his love for Ophelia by naming various tasks he would have done for her (5.1.268-271). The strongest point Hamlet makes that proves he loves her is when he says he would cry for her (5.1.269). This is significant because all throughout the play Hamlet is told by many that he cannot cry as it is unmanly (1.2.68-73). At one point, Hamlet is furious at a player because the player was allowed to cry at something not real while Hamlet was not permitted to cry at his own father’s death (2.2.545-572). By saying he would cry for Ophelia (5.1.269) he is saying he would be willing to give up his own reputation at being manly and strong for Ophelia. Hamlet’s love for Ophelia was always true even after her death despite the way Hamlet expressed his feelings. Hamlet’s feelings towards Ophelia are skewed by his own inner turmoil but after some deeper analysis it becomes clear that he truly loved her. Hamlet forced his anger onto her while also pretending to hate her in order to spare her from becoming