Hamlet And Ophelia Relationship Essay

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Ophelia’s relationship to Hamlet In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, despite the fact that Hamlet lied and used Ophelia for the good of himself, he truly was in love with her. Throughout the play we notice a dramatic change from beginning to end, in regards to Hamlet’s relationship with Ophelia. In the beginning of the play we see Hamlet having feelings for Ophelia, but then we see him talk down to Ophelia and start to deny his feelings towards her. We see Hamlet writing love letters to Ophelia, in the middle of the play when Ophelia begins to go crazy she reminisces on Valentine’s day and how Hamlet betrayed her. The end of the play when Hamlet realizes Ophelia is dead the readers learn that Hamlet was indeed truly in love with Ophelia, when he confesses …show more content…
He had used Ophelia without her knowledge. By writing love letters to Ophelia, Hamlet thought that when people found out he was ‘crazy’ they would think it had to do with Ophelia. 'Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love. 'O dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers; I have not art to reckon my groans: but that I love thee best, O most best, believe it. Adieu. 'Thine evermore most dear lady, whilst this machine is to him, HAMLET. ' (Act, 2 Scene 2) When Polonius reads the letter this provides clear evidence that Hamlet is indeed passionately in love with Ophelia, as much as he did use her. When Hamlet goes to see Ophelia, it proves that Hamlet does indeed trust Ophelia because he secretly knows that she will go tell Polonius and therefore the word of him being crazy would spread faster. “ My lord, as I was sewing in my chamber, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced, no hat upon his head, hos stocking foul’d, ungarter’d and down-gyved to his ancle: pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other, and with a look so piteous in purport, as if he had been loosed out of hell to speak of horrors, he comes before me.” (Act 2, Scene 1) While Hamlet was coming up with a plan he used a way to indeed tell Ophelia that he had loved her. When Ophelia goes to tell Polonius about Hamlet he replies ‘Mad for thy love!’ (Act 2, Scene 1) …show more content…
“ Tomorrow is Saint Valentine’s Day, All in the morning betime, And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine. Then up he rose, and Donn’d his clothes, And dupp’d the chamber door; Let in the maid, that out a maid never departed more.” (Act 4, Scene 5) Hamlet had promised to marry Ophelia if they had sex, but once they had had sex he broke his promise and would not marry her because she was no longer a virgin. This shows that Hamlet had used her in the past for the good of himself. Before this Hamlet says to Ophelia “ I did love you once” (Act 3, Scene 1) and Ophelia replies with “Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.” In this scene Hamlet denies ever loving Ophelia. Ophelia is talking to him as if he has a much higher social status than her, showing that they are from very separate worlds. Hamlet replies to Ophelia with “You should not have believ’d me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I lov’d you not.” (Act 3, Scene 1) This quote shows that Hamlet does indeed regret his decision of letting Ophelia go, because previously to this quote he does say that he had once loved her, but now he is saying how he never did have feelings for her. Here we see Hamlet second-guessing himself in regards to his feelings to

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