A Character Analysis of Ophelia
During Act One Scene Three, we are presented with the growing attraction between the young Hamlet, and Polonius' daughter, Ophelia. However, we learn of this attraction solely through the blunt advice that both Polonius and Ophelia's brother, Laertes, give heavily. Unfortunately for Ophelia, this advice portrays the young Prince in a negative manner, and possibly deters her from him altogether. Laertes advises Ophelia to treat Hamlet's love as a "trifling of his favour," and a "fashion and a toy". He says that Hamlet's affections are "sweet, not lasting." It is unequivocally clear that Ophelia's brother believes Hamlet is only physically attracted to her, and that any relationship could not seriously last. Laertes points out that "Perhaps" Hamlet loves Ophelia now, but "his will is not his own" and "he himself is subject to his birth". He reminds Ophelia that Hamlet is a Prince, and that he may be forced to choose a wife who has royal blood, regardless of whom he might actually love. Therefore Ophelia could not become Hamlet's wife. In addition, Laertes suggests that his sister should remain "chaste" as she would lose her honour if she lost her virginity to Hamlet before marriage, and she would become worthless. In fact, Laertes
Exhausted with so much advice, Ophelia simply gives in. Hamlet has been dressing only in black, and he has been mourning his dead father. This is profound; it shows women's tendencies to think of themselves as a lower status than men during that era. It is also possible that Laertes is worried because he knows that Hamlet is not going back to college and therefore will have more free time. Polonius is afraid that Hamlet may be trying to pursue sexual favors from her. Furthermore, Laertes' speech to Ophelia is even laced with forceful sexual imagery, referring to her "chaste treasure open" to Hamlet's "unmaster'd importunity". Whatever his reasons, Laertes does not want Ophelia's buttons to be disclosed. As a result, Ophelia's blossoming love for Hamlet has been suppressed by the superiority of her brother and her father, and thus she does not see him again until he apparently runs into her closet almost naked. " Ultimately, Laertes thinks that young people rebel but will only hurt themselves; if Ophelia rebels by losing her virginity to Hamlet, she will indeed only end up hurting herself more than anyone else. Ophelia may still have strong feelings for Hamlet, yet she has made the irreversible decision of suppressing them for her father's sake. He warns Ophelia that she "must not" take Hamlet's promises for "fire. Had Ophelia not been affected by her relatives' advice, or at the least decided to rebel against it, her reaction to Hamlet's appearance would have been noticeably different, for instance she may have delighted in the fact that she was now in a closet with Hamlet.
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