Ophelia's Love Betrayed
I would have to strongly disagree with Nicole's interpretation of Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship. They were most certainly lovers. Halmlet did without question offer Ophelia "tenders" of his affection, and we know this because she must return them to Hamlet. In addition, we also have the letter read from Polonius to Claudius and Gertrude in which Hamnlet writes to Ophelia I did love thee once. So indeed, Hamlet did love Ophelia, and evidence is also in the play that she did love the prince. When Laertes tells Ophelia to beware of Hamlet's love, she does not deny her love for Hamlet but responds that yes she will be careful. As for the song, no part of any of Shakespeare's plays is ever thrown in simply because it was popular at the time. When Ophelia s
Ophelia has broken off their relationship because her father Polonius, forced her to, and we can guess that Hamlet knows that may be the case because shortly before the "get thee to a nunnery speech" he refuses to take his "tenders" back. His uncle has killed Hamlet's father. We cannot exonerate her betrayal because being honest is possible for her, but we can mitigate it because her father is the one who "pimped" her if we want to continue using the prostitution motif. Everyone special to Hamlet has betrayed him. We do not feel bad when Hamlet exacts his revenge or chastises the other that be tray him, so why do we blame him when he chastises Ophelia as a result of her betrayal. Even the bumbling Polonius admits that Hamlet's love may have been truer that even he believed. Ultimately, I do believe that Hamlet and Ophelia were true lovers. Hamlet has been betrayed by his close friend's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Many blame Hamlet for being too hard on Ophelia, but her treatment and the "Get thee to a nunnery" speech is, in a certain sense, justified. Hamlet's entire world is collapsing around him. ings that sing in her mentally disturbed state she is revealing the nature of her relationship to Hamlet and his promises of love. Some criticism exists that compares Ophelia's betrayal to prostituion, and this may account for our discomfort with regard to Hamlet's treatment of Ophelia, not because we forgive her "prostitute-like" act but because she becomes a pawn in Polonius's little game to earn the king's favor. The question now becomes, who is to blame for the relationship's demise.
Common topics in this essay:
Rosencrantz Guildenstern,
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Hamlet Ophelia's,
King Hamlet's,
,
thee nunnery speech,
hamlet's love,
ophelia's betrayal,
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