Ophelia

Ophelia is a simply depicted character whose main plot functions are to be

Hamlet's long-standing girlfriend and to suffer greatly and eventually die

because of the corruption in Denmark. The daughter of Polonius and brother

of Laertes, she is a soft-spoken and beautiful female. She is also an obedient

and tender-hearted young lady who willingly obeys her father even when it

means being separated from Hamlet, her true love. Ophelia is characterized

by simplicity, innocence, faithfulness, honesty, and a total lack of deceit.

Her purity is symbolized by flowers, especially by the violets, that are so

much a part of her being.

Ophelia is portrayed as a weak character. Although her love for Hamlet is

genuine and absolute, when her father and brother demand that she separate

herself from Hamlet, she does not have the strength of character to stand up

to them. In turn, she becomes a helpless pawn, used by her foolish father

and the scheming Claudius to test the truthfulness of Hamlet's madness.

When Hamlet speaks rudely to her, she dissolves into tears, unable to

control her emotion. After her father's death, she breaks down under the

strain and becomes truly mad. She dies, probably through intentional

suicide, when she falls into the river and drowns. During her funeral, Hamlet

and Laertes clash over their love for her, creating the most dramatic

graveyard scene ever written. Ophelia is an important character, despite her

one-dimensionality; she represents uncompromised goodness in a cast of

compromised people.

Word Count: 248