Essay On Ophelia's Madness In Hamlet

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Through the play of Hamlet, relationships are seen as unstable and unreliable. Not only are relationships tested when an insanity scene occurs, but true love and affection is critical as well at this time. This relates to Hamlet, as his repetitive failures of a relationship occur because of his madness. The love Hamlet has for Ophelia is inconsistent, as he does not continue to love her through his insanity moments. At the beginning of the play Hamlet’s affection for Ophelia is seen through Ophelia’s eyes. As she is talking to Polonius about their relationship she states, “my lord, of late, made many tenders of his affection to me”(I:iii:108-109), as well as, “My lord, he hath importuned me with love in honorable fashion”(I:iii:119-120). The reader continues …show more content…
In the novel Dating Hamlet, Ophelia states, “my skin is pale as fresh daisy petals, and my eyes sink inward… The servants and courtiers whisper that surely, Ophelia … most beautiful… has lost touch”(Fiedler). Ophelia’s madness has become most noticeable to not only others around but her own self. This madness, which leads to her death, allows the reader to see the true side of Hamlet’s suspected love for Ophelia. After Hamlet notices Ophelia in the coffin, he tells all who are around him, “I loved Ophelia”(V:i:284). This line represents the first time in the play Hamlet says the word “love” to Ophelia. Hamlet also states, “Fourty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum”(V:i:285-286). Since Hamlet stated, “loved” which is a past tense reference, the reader can conclude that Hamlet did at one point love Ophelia, or Hamlet genuinely loves Ophelia up until her death. Hamlet is completely shocked of the death which is noticeable when he states, “This is I, Hamlet the Dane”(V:i:270-271), after he surfs through the crowd and jumps into her

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