Ophelia's Presentation Of Female Characters In Hamlet

Shakespeare was a master at portraying life-like and complex characters. Shakespeare wrote, in total, thirty-eight plays (Folger.edu). Of these thirty-eight, ten featured a strong female character, be it the antagonist or protagonist. The other twenty-eight plays portrayed women as frail and ultimately, weak. Hamlet falls into the former category with only two female characters: his mother and his almost lover, Ophelia. In total, Ophelia speaks fifty-eight times throughout the play, and what little she does, is very impactful.
Ophelia resembles what would be an obedient child and woman in the time of Shakespeare. With this being said, she also has the slightest bit of rebellion in her as she is very to-the-point and at times speaks her mind, but it is only when she is perceived as being “mentally unstable” (Act IV, Scene 5). Even in intimate moments with Hamlet, she is very polite and the diction she uses would be considered proper. Ophelia remains elegant even when faced with the suggestion of “country matters” when they are watching the play (Act III Scene 2). This was not common during the time in which the play was written and would be frowned upon. Ophelia could remind one of a naive, young girl and who, like most, is torn between the two most important men in her life: her father and her first lover. She trusts her father enough to do as he says without questioning the majority of the time, but she is also at that age where she is in love. Her brother and her father are convinced that Hamlet is using her as a sexual object and once he has what he wants, he will throw her away. They will forever see her purpose as a loving wife and mother (Act I, Scene 3). Her heart, however, beats to a different rhythm. Although he has told her many times that he does not, her heart leads her to believe that Hamlet was/is in love with her. He is convinced that she is a deceitful lover and that all women are this way. Like Hamlet, Ophelia is guided by her father, his wishes, and medieval customs. …show more content…
Ophelia had no choice in whom she would marry. Richer women, such as Ophelia, were expected to marry as a teenager, and once married, she was under control of the husband (Trueman, Chris) Marriage for power was common during this time. We can even see an example of this in the play itself with Claudius and Gertrude. But like most young women, she is also ruled by the idea of romanticized love. How can she possibly obey her heart and also her mind when they are in conflict with each other? She can’t. Ophelia eventually makes her choice when lying to Hamlet about her father being at home. This shows the reader that she has made the choice to follow her father and do what is thought to be right. However, this weighs heavily on her mind and she spirals eventually into madness. Although she is labeled as insane by her family, she remains a proper maiden by singing songs and giving away flowers. …show more content…
This may seem a sweet thing to do, but as she sings, her real thoughts slip out. In Act IV, Scene five, she sings a melody to Gertrude which reveals her true thoughts about the marriage between her and Claudius. She sings, “Which bewept to the grave did not go with true-love showers.” (Act IV, Scene 5). The reader can imply that Ophelia means as Gertrude’s dead husband lies in the grave, she did not go once to mourn and instead married another. The flowers she had given to each person are also a bit ironic. Ophelia gives her brother Rosemary and Pansies. She states that they are for remembrance and thoughts. But remembrance of what or whom? Could she possibly know that she would have drown later that day? Or were they serving as a reminder for the love she lost because of him? She gives the king Fennel and Columbine. At this time, Columbine is considered a symbol for deceit, especially when concerned with lovers. This is a brave move on her part as she is telling the king that she knows of his