Examine Shakespeare’s presentation of Ophelia Essay

Through expose the happen, Ophelia is wrap uped as an humble by the workforce in her life. She is instructed and also employ by them to happen upon their protest selfish goals. As Rex Gibson states, Shakespe bean wowork force were virtu each(prenominal)y help slight pawns in the power games of their main relatives. Her tone towards them is most often submissive and pass judgment of their commands, although the earreach is apt(p) occasional glimpses of the seemingly intelligent and opinionated youngish woman beneath her clichi d exterior. In the play, she is merely a gradient story.She has no particular role in the play rather than to contemplate the traits of other characters, and this secondary importance to the plot reflects Shakespe bes presentation of her. Upon Ophelias first appearance in the play, it becomes demonstrable that she and her brother energize a close relationship. Laertes tells Ophelia, let me hear from you, to which she rep take a breathers Do you d oubt that? Laertes mentions small town as a get under ones skin for maintenance, weigh what loss your honour may sustain, If with also credent ear you list his songs, Or lose your heart, or your chaste reckon openTo his unmastered importunity. He believes that junctures intentions ar dishonourable. He is fond to physical body this opinion, and as he retrieves he knows critical points unbent motives, this suggests that men of the era sh ard this abusive military posture towards women. While he may be bearing a genuine concern for his sisters well- cosmos, t here is a tone of authority in his voice. He is non her father, but as a male he talks down feather to her. His primary concern may be more(prenominal) than for the honour of his family, which Ophelia would enter should she conduct a relationship with small town.She does that retort defensively with, Do non as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and bristled way to heaven, Whiles like a puffed and reckless libertine Himself the primula path of dalliance treads. Here she is warning him once morest hypocrisy and recognising that some men (ungracious pastors) are promiscuous while expecting women to be virtuous. In eyesight that society has double standards, the audience is sightn that there is a military position to Ophelia deeper than is obvious in most of her appearances in the play.A novel audience would feel that her reply is justified, and would respect her for standing up for herself. She has a more relaxed attitude to verbalisation of her thoughts when she is in the presence of her brother, but still respects and accepts his will. In conversation with Polonius for the first time in the play, the audience sees the submissive ramp to Ophelia. Polonius is also quick to suspect Hamlets motives, reinforcing the suggestion that all men of this time take over a everyday view of women.Polonius interposition of her reflects the double standards of Shakespeares society, a s he at first seems dissatisfied that she acts like an inexperienced green girl Unsifted in such d cholerous circumstance and then goes on to severalise conceptualise yourself a coddle, enforcing her inexperience. Ophelia implies her own inability to form an opinion I do non know my passkey what I should think. This seemingly air-headed behaviour could cause lots annoyance to a modernistic audience, whether she simply tail end non think for herself or has an opinion and is too intimidated to voice it.Polonius perception of his little girl becomes sporting with the rehearsal you have taen these testys for line up pay Which are non sterling. Tender yourself more dearly. The financial references here show that these tenders are worth nothing to Polonius unless they become cash, or stirling, in his hand. The attainment of wealth comprises all of Ophelias uses to him. She is a possession and a apparatus to him. This is noted by Gibson, women were regarded as possession s, as roof to be exploited. He also harbours selfish concerns most his own social standing, and that Ophelia will tender him a fool, as her behaviour reflects upon him as a father. Ophelia concludes by submitting yet again, I shall obey, my lord. Despite the fact that Ophelia has firstly rebelled against expectations by see with a man without the permission of her father, or has gone against social mores (Pitt), she continues to treat her father as her superior and conform to his cravinges. Again the audience spectatores the bivalent personality of Ophelia.This could leave an audience confused, and unsure of exactly what to think of her as a character, as her uncoiled identity remains a conundrum until her death. After Hamlet advances upon her looking like he had been loosed out of glare, Ophelia runs to her father, seeking protection and comfort. She enters the room saying O my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted. Modern audiences may draw comparisons amongst this a nd the behaviour of a small child. Not only is she treated like one by men, but at this point she proves their treatment to be right.This might anger a modern audience who could perceive her to be lacking common sense and therefore totally unable to deal with a unconnected attitude. To increase the antagonism of a post-feminist audience, she then goes on to relate that she was fix in her closet at the time of incident while to a Shakespearean audience sewing was part of life for women, a modern audience would see this as a stereotypically effeminate activity organism used by Ophelia to play up her helplessness. As stated by A. C.Bradley in the Victorian era, a large number of readers feel a personal kind of irritation against Ophelia they seem unable to forgive her for not having been a heroine. While this does not represent the viewpoint of right aways audience, it shows that in time in Victorian times when women were still much less free than they are now, Ophelias helpless ness is exaggerated to the point of irritation. We witness Ophelias utter submissiveness yet again, and her acting as if she has no thoughts of her own I do not know, But truly I do fear it. Ophelia incessantly addresses her father submissively as my lord.It can be presumed that Ophelia has been taught to address him thusly, reflecting on Polonius as a father, who is an example of men at the time of the play. Polonius sees Ophelia as world far inferior to him. He speaks to her in short commands Come, go with me, rather than asking her to do things. He also seems to think that she is untrus twainrthy, as he questions her, Have you given him every hard lecture of late? suspecting that she has not done what he told her to do. As Ophelias letters are read aloud, she stands on the stage in tranquility to endure this harsh and humiliating experience.She is utterly powerless as her most intimate secrets are exposed to the King and Queen. Her father has give her no right to privacy , to the point that he publicly proclaims and meddles in her affairs. Polonius says I have a daughter have while she is mine, this roundly suggests his intentions to sell her, and continues Who in her duty and obedience, mark, Hath given me this. Here, it is as if he is marketing her, making her good qualities cognize to the King and Queen, telling them to mark, peradventure in the believes that they approve of her as a wife to Hamlet.In this situation Polonius social standing would vastly improve. She is certainly seen by him as capital to be exploited. Upon the Kings questioning Ophelias chastity, Polonius asks him What do you think of me? This shows that in a Shakespearean society, the behaviour of a daughter was seen to be an indication of how honourable her father was, again proving that women were taught chastity, modesty, obedience and devotion to their husbands (Gibson), to be used as social and financial tools. Elaine Showalter accurately sucks Ophelia as that pie ce of bait.She is used to confirm whether or not Hamlets separation from her is the cause of his madness. Before the first conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia (which is held under surveillance by Polonius and the King), Ophelia is not even given a greeting, but is spoken to only by the Queen, and exclusively roughly Hamlet And for your part Ophelia, I do wish That your good beauties be the happy cause Of Hamlets wildness. Their main concern is Hamlets return to his prior sane state and hope to be able to use Ophelia as a way of livery it about. Ophelia herself has absolutely no control over events relating to her.She speaks briefly, only when spoken to, and to channel her desire to see Hamlet well again Madam, I wish it may. Her father again talks to her commandingly, as if she were a dog, Ophelia, walk you here. When she is at first left with Hamlet, she remains silent onstage passim his vast monologue, until he mentions her. A conversation begins with Ophelias greeting Hamlet, life-threatening my lord, and hereafter she uses the words my lord repetitively. When she mentions rememberances that she as longed long to re-deliver, she is shunned by Hamlet, as he says I never gave you aught.Ophelia further shows the audience that she is an intelligent young woman rather than a girl who is to the full of nonsense. She elaborates on her feelings for Hamlet with the words My honoured lord, you know right well you did, And with them words of so sweet breath composed As made these things more rich. Their perfume lost, Take these again, for to the noble mind Rich gifts wax worthless when givers prove unkind. There my lord. The audience sees here through her passionate statement that these words held great importance to Ophelia and that she is expressing the depth of her emotion.With Hamlet she gives the first indications of her true feelings, things that she would not share with her father. She is however belittled and mocked by Hamlet (Ha, ha, are you h onest? ). Her clever response to Hamlets mad ramblings gives us another insight into the more hidden side of Ophelia. Fundamentally, however, Ophelia is a side story, and is of secondary importance to the main plot and has no story without Hamlet. She appears in only five of the plays twenty scenes (Showalter) and is used to inform the audience of what Hamlet was like before his descent into madness.As stated by Angela Pitt, Ophelias main function in the play is to illuminate a particular facet of Hamlets decline. She has known him in both friendship and gallant devotion. She fulfils this role O what a noble mind is here oerthrown The courtiers, soldiers, bookmans, eye, tongue, sword, Th expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion, and the mould of form. While we see here that she is articulate, is underestimated by Polonius and does have something of value to say, it is kinda tragic that this outburst of expression is not of herself, but of Hamlets personality prio r to his fathers death.As she is used throughout the play by men, here Shakespeare uses her as a way of transport information to the audience. At this point in the play, the audience can translate with Ophelia, as the pain of denyion by a lover exists outside of time. By proving to the audience that she is intelligent and educated, she wins respect, as modern society values these qualities highly in both men and women. Just before the play, Hamlet initiates a tirade of sexual references directed toward Ophelia.It begins with heres metal more attractive, a mocking reference to her looks. He goes on to say to Ophelia Lady, shall I lie in your lap? to which she replies No my lord. He persists in essay to humiliate Ophelia with phrases such as Do you think I meant country matters? and Thats a fair thought to lie between maids legs. Ophelias responses are short and she again repeats my lord No my lord, Ay my lord, I think nothing, my lord. Her words are sharp and brief as she deni es Hamlet the delight of provoking an outburst from her.While this repetition could show her merely being weak and submissive, as she is forced to take his insults, it can also be argued that she knows here exactly what she is doing, as she later goes on to retaliate, You are naught, you are naught Ophelias naivety must be assumed and not genuine, because later she gives as good as she gets (Pitt) Ophelia. You are keen my lord, you are keen. Hamlet. It would cost you a groaning to take off mine edge. Ophelia. Still better, and worse. Here she neglects to say my lord, which shows that her tone has changed, and she has given up trying to be tolerant of Hamlet.Ophelias descent into madness portrays her in an wry and rather tragic light. Her condition has caused her to be more vocal and to reject authority. Now the great unwashed notice that Ophelia is speaking, and try to understand what she says, when her mind is not her own nothing she says makes sense. Even though she is louder , her position is still mostly unchanged her madness expresses itself through her, but does not allow her to express her own true thoughts. At the time, women who were vocal and opinionated, who challenged authority or want freedom were often portrayed as being insane.This overly stirred, sloshed state was also thought to be womanhood in its purest, unsuppressed form Ophelia might confirm the impossibility of representing the feminine in patricentric discourse as other than madness, incoherence, fluidity, or silence Ophelia represents the strong emotions that the Elizabethans as well as the Freudians thought womanish and unmanly. (Showalter). The themes of her songs are death and true love the two issues that have most recently affected her. Firstly, her using by Hamlet And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine.Then up he rose, and donned his clothes, And dupped the chamber door, Let in the maid, that out a maid, Never departed more. In Shakespearean times, it wa s extremely historic that a woman maintained her chastity it is implied quite obviously by these songs that Ophelia did engage in sexual relations with Hamlet. This would have meant the loss of her study altogether. People will now take notice of these open declarations, as a woman her promiscuousness is condemned, whereas a mans promiscuity (Hamlets) will be overlooked. This exposes Shakespearean societys double standards.A woman of high social standing such as Ophelia was pass judgment even more so to exhibit virtue, and so was very unprotected and open to condemnation, with every relationship putting her in a potentially life-destroying position. Now, when the relationship has dissolved, she is in a difficult position. Her imprisonment is particularly troubling to a modern audience, who are very used to seeing women with much more freedom. While todays morals are not quite as tight as Shakespearean morals, a modern audience will still feel a lot of humanity for the poor a bused and abandoned Ophelia.As well as being an issue of chastity, it also involves trust. She trusted Hamlet with her love and her reputation wrongly. Secondly, she sings about her fathers death At his head a grass-green turf, At his heels a stone. His death has marked the loss of two of the men in her life who, while they were controlling and dictating, were all that she had, and both of whom she love dearly. When Ophelia fall into the river where she eventually perishes, she does nothing to save herself. She is as passive at the blink of an eye of her death as she was throughout life, doing nothing to save herself.Gertrude is able to describe Ophelias death in detail, down to the exact type of flowers Ophelia had decked herself with (crowflowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples). This may be seen as Gertrudes expression of genuine discernment for her fellow woman. Ophelias death can be seen as a suicide, but Gertrude, perhaps to prevent Ophelia from being denied a Christi an burial, which would have deepened Laertes heartbreak, describes her as having been one incapable of her own distress, suggesting that she fell in and simply did not care enough to get out.Ophelias give out influence in the play is her funeral, where Laertes jumps into her grave in grief. Hamlet however jumps in after him, and they begin to grapple irreverently, arguing over who loved her more Hamlet. I loved Ophelia, forty thousand brothers Could not, with all their amount of money of love, Make up my sum what wilt thou do for her? Hamlet persists in trying to out-do Laertes in his love for his sister, to the point of ridiculousness woot drink up eisel, eat a crocodile? Ill dot. This sudden display of affection for Ophelia from Hamlet contrasts hugely with his treatment of her during her life, and seems unrealistic. Laertes grief for Ophelia is overshadowed by his desire for revenge as Hamlet has destroyed his family. The two use their love for Ophelia as an excuse to let p rivate rivalries surface, even at her funeral. This is symbolic of how she has been used throughout the play, by Polonius to get side by side(predicate) to the king and by Hamlet to portray his insanity.To a Shakespearean audience, peoples treatment of Ophelia would have been typical of the way in which women were treated. Her silence and oppression would have been met with sympathy, as well the empathy of women of the time. While her situation with regards to Hamlet and his cold rejection of her still holds poignancy with a modern audience, people today may question more why she made little exertion to defend herself in certain situations, and why she so blankly followed the operating instructions of her father and brother at the expense of her own mental and emotional well-being.Bibliography Shakespeare, William, Hamlet, Heinemann, 1996 Pitt, Angela, Shakespeares Women, David and Charles, 1981 Gibson, Rex, Cambridge Student Guide Hamlet, Cambridge University Press, 2002 A. C. Br adley, Shakespearean Tragedy, 1904 Showalter, Elaine, Representing Ophelia Women, unwiseness and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism. in New Casebooks Hamlet, Macmillan, 1992 Eleanor Crossey Malone L6G.