ophelia - hamlet Flashcards
I shall the effect of this good lesson keep as watchman to my heart. But, good my brother, do not, as some ungracious pastors do…
Ophelia is assuring Laertes that she will keep follow his advice, which shows how obedient and respectful she is to her brother.
However, perhaps because of their closeness in age and familial relationship, this is the one male figure that Ophelia does not appear to be completely in awe of and as such we sense an intimacy and closeness between them as not only is she is talking about her love life but she also admonishes him to follow his own advice as well. Moreover, the stichomythia that is regularly used in the scene reinforces their closeness because they keep on finishing off each other’s sentences, showing that they know each other well and can have discussions.
‘Tis in my memory lock’d, And you yourself shall keep the key of it.
Here Ophelia assures Laertes that she will follow his advice with an image that implies that she is handing him the key to her mind and memory. This image, although presumably intended as an endearing response to her brother’s concerns, reinforces the sense of male control and patriarchy that runs through this scene
I do not know, my lord, what I should think.
Superficially at least this line appears to imply that Ophelia is lost and confused and unsure about what to do in response to Hamlet’s protestations of love. However, a more sinister analysis of the line suggests that Ophelia is actually asking Polonius to tell her what to think and so, from a feminist perspective, we can read this as an image of female compliance with a patriarchal power structure where Ophelia begins by reinforcing stereotypes about the inability of women to think for themselves before abdicating her decision to a, presumably more reliable, male figure.
My lord, he hath importun’d me with love in honorable fashion.
Ophelia is defending Hamlet even though her brother and father have both warned her about the dangers of their relationship. Her defence suggests a genuine affection for Hamlet because she chooses to believe in him despite the views of others. At the same time, Ophelia is naive because she only cares about Hamlet’s claim that he loves her without considering the difference in status between them.
I shall obey, my lord.
After briefly attempt to argue that Hamlet’s love for her is genuine, Ophelia finally concedes to her father’s will. The shortness of her reply that she is willing to “obey” her father even though she still loves Hamlet, emphasizes her submissive character.
Pale as his shirt … As if he had been loosed out of hell to speak of horrors
Ophelia describes the appearance of Hamlet when he comes to her in her chamber and forms the image of him being a ghost. She is frightened and does not know what to do, so she immediately turns to her father. Her reliance on Polonius to solve problems for her reinforces the sense that she is dependent on male figures and does not have the ability to think for herself.
I was the more deceiv’d
This is Ophelia’s response to Hamlet’s claim that he never loved her when they meet in the chapel in Act III. Previously Ophelia defended Hamlet against her father and this makes Hamlet’s claim that he did not love her even more hurtful. The fact that her father is hiding nearby to overhear Hamlet’s words accentuates the humiliating nature of the scene and a palpable sense of sympathy is created here as we see Ophelia exploited by both Hamlet and her father for their own ends. Hamlet, to create the impression that he is mad and thus lull Claudius into a false sense of security, and Polonius to prove that Hamlet’s love for Ophelia is what caused his insanity.
Hamlet: Is this a prologue or the post of a ring
Ophelia: ‘Tis brief, my lord.
Hamlet: As woman’s love.
Shakespeare once again evokes sympathy for Ophelia as a result of this interaction with Hamlet that occurs while watching the dumb show at the start of the play. Ophelia’s genuine response to Hamlet’s comment about the shortness of the prologue is twisted into a comment on the brevity of female affection and his sharpness here as well as the way in which he unfairly uses Ophelia to criticize all women seems unnecessarily cruel. Once again Ophelia appears as the image of a powerless female who is pulled hither and thither by the more powerful male characters.
I would give you some violets, but they wither’d all when my father died. They say a’made a good end - [sings.] ‘For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy.’
In this scene in Act 4 Ophelia in her madness is distributing flowers to the members of the court and the pathos of the scene inspires considerable sympathy from the both the characters on stage and the audience. This sense of pathos is intensified by the use of imagery that suggests death and decay - ‘withered’, ‘end’ and ‘died’ - and the poignant contrast with images of ‘joy’.
Elaine Showalter - Feminist Interpretation
- Elaine Showalter, a prominent feminist critic, argues that Ophelia represents the repressed voice of women in patriarchal society. In her influential essay “Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism” (1985), Showalter posits that Ophelia’s madness is an expression of her repressed sexuality and the frustration of having no independent voice. Showalter emphasizes that Ophelia’s insanity serves as a rebellion against her father’s and Hamlet’s control, and symbolizes the tragedy of women silenced by a male-dominated world.
Jacques Lacan - Psychoanalytic Criticism
Jacques Lacan, the French psychoanalyst, famously analyzed Ophelia in a lecture titled “Desire and the Interpretation of Desire in Hamlet.” Lacan describes Ophelia as an object rather than a subject within the play, stating that she is “the object of Hamlet’s desire.” According to Lacan, Ophelia embodies Hamlet’s unfulfilled desire and becomes a symbolic reflection of his internal turmoil. This treatment suggests that Ophelia lacks agency and serves instead as a psychological mirror for Hamlet’s struggles and neuroses.
Carol Thomas Neely - Madness and Gender
Carol Thomas Neely is another scholar who has analyzed Ophelia’s madness in depth. In her book Distracted Subjects: Madness and Gender in Shakespeare and Early Modern Culture (2004), Neely argues that Ophelia’s madness represents the limited emotional outlets available to women in Elizabethan society. She explores how gendered expectations confine Ophelia’s emotional and psychological expression, showing that her breakdown reflects both personal loss and social restrictions
Lee Edwards - Agency and Identity
Lee Edwards, a feminist critic, argues that Ophelia is denied a story of her own, stating that “we can imagine Hamlet’s story without Ophelia, but Ophelia literally has no story without Hamlet.” Edwards contends that Ophelia’s identity is defined entirely by the men around her—her father, brother, and Hamlet. Her tragic fate is seen as a reflection of how women in the play lack agency and are unable to define their own destinies.
Bridget Gellert Lyons - Symbol of Purity and Innocence
Bridget Gellert Lyons in her work Voices of Melancholy: Studies in Literary Treatments of Melancholy in Renaissance England (1971) discusses Ophelia as an archetype of innocence corrupted by a harsh reality. Lyons sees Ophelia as a figure of purity, whose tragic end evokes pathos and represents the loss of innocence. Her madness and subsequent death are viewed as consequences of an idealized and fragile nature exposed to the corrupt and violent environment of Elsinore.
William Hazlitt - Romantic Perspective
William Hazlitt, a Romantic-era critic, saw Ophelia as an idealized figure, describing her as “a character almost too exquisitely touching to be dwelt upon.” Hazlitt admired Ophelia’s sensitivity and viewed her as a quintessential tragic heroine. He emphasized her vulnerability and innocence, suggesting that her character evokes a deep emotional response due to her purity and the injustice of her fate. Hazlitt’s romanticized view contributed to the perception of Ophelia as a victim of the harsh realities around her.
