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Hamlet - Ophelia Character Analysis - College Essay

Hamlet - Ophelia Character Analysis

Ophelia is a beautiful and simple-minded woman, easily molded by the more powerful opinions and desires of others. The thoughts of her father and her brother influenced her the most. The love letters from Hamlet also swayed her opinions and confused her mind. Ophelia wasn’t able to realize herself because of all the pressures exerted on her to be something she’s not. That weakness of mind and will, which permitted her obedience to her father and thus destroyed her hope for Hamlet’s love, finally resulted in her insanity and death.
When her father had challenged the honor of Hamlet’s intentions, Ophelia could only reply "I do not know, my lord, what I should think" (III, iii). Used to ...

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and only doing as her father wished, she ruined her chances of love with Hamlet.
Hamlet put pressure on Ophelia by expecting her to surpass his mother’s shortcomings and be an epitome of womankind. He searched her innocent face for some sign of loving truth that might restore his faith in her. He took her mute terror for a sign of her guilt and found her to be a false person, like his mother. In his letter to her, he addressed the letter to "the most beautified Ophelia" and he terminated the letter with "I love thee best, O most best, believe it" (II, ii). He used the word "beautified" to display a sincere tribute, and it is apparent he still loves her. His attempts to win her affection are not triumphant. Ophelia is still too much under the influence of her father to question his wisdom or authority, and she has no mind of her own to understand how much she has made her lover suffer. No matter how much it pained her to not see Hamlet, all she could see in his present behavior is ...

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Hamlet - Ophelia Character Analysis. (2008, March 30). Retrieved January 11, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Hamlet-Ophelia-Character-Analysis/81327

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 3/30/2008 04:50:56 PM
Category: Arts
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 667
Pages: 3

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