Ophelia's madness in 'Hamlet'

 SUBJECT: Paper no.1 The Renaissance Literature

ROLL NUMBER: 32

Study: M.A SEM: 1

GUIDED By: Dr.Dilip Barad

 Department of English, Maharaja krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

Topic: Ophelia’s madness Because of Hamlet, Laertes and Polonius.

Introduction:

                William Shakespeare writes a Tragedy ‘Hamlet’. It is about Hamlet’s life, that how he face Tragic fall in his life. It is a Revenge play. Hamlet’s father was murdered by Claudius and her mother married with him suddenly after his first husband’s death. Because of it Hamlet is frustrate and that time his friend Horatio told him about the GHOST of his father. When Hamlet knows about it he wants to meet with that Ghost and he meet him that time he knows that Claudius killed his father and after his father he became king of Denmark and marry with his mother. Hamlet was not action man but he was a thinker man He thinks a lot about all this things. Just because of this situation he disturbed a lot and he is not believed anyone in his family. He just believed in his friend Horatio. He shared all his problems and feelings with Horatio.

                   Ophelia Polonius’s daughter loved with Hamlet and Hamlet loved her but after his father’s death Hamlet was not give time to his relationship with Ophelia that’s why his relationship was broken down.  That time Hamlet behaves rude or suspiciously so Claudius wants to know that why he behaves like this and he knows that Ophelia and Hamlet’s relationship so by the use of Polonius he instructed Ophelia to know What’s the reason behind this behavior of Hamlet.

                   Laertes Ophelia’s brother and her father Polonius not like the relationship of Ophelia’s and Hamlet so they say to Ophelia that Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark so he just use you he is not love with you so you don’t trust him and after it Laertes go to France for his work. Because of all this things Ophelia was disturbed. Ultimately Ophelia wants to commit Suicide as a result of Hamlet’s confusing behavior towards her but her safe by her father.

                    This way Tragic Flaw start in Hamlet’s life Because of it Ophelia affected by him. That time some actors pass through the Denmark so they come to palace and that time Hamlet use trick to know that that ghost is right or wrong. That actors act some acts so Hamlet write one act for performing how his father died and he wants to saw the expressions of Claudius. And he saw the negative expression on Claudius face and he believed that Claudius killed his brother. After it he tells his mother about his father’s death that time he listen some sounds and he think that it is Claudius and he is very angry so he killed him but really he was Polonius. Ophelia really loved her father, brother and Hamlet. In her life These three persons are very important but her father and brothers are against to Hamlet, so Ophelia was always feel depressed and Mood less. When Ophelia knows that Polonius killed by Hamlet she gone mad.

                   With all this situations Claudius was afraid to losing Gertrude and Denmark so he try to sent Hamlet to England with his formal friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who have been informing about hamlet’s state of mind. Claudius secretly sent orders for Hamlet to be killed on arrival in England, but Hamlet escapes from the ship and swaps his death order for a letter ordering the death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

                                      “To Be or Not To Be…”

                   Hamlet was alive and he comes back to Denmark. But he is too late. When he back to Denmark Ophelia was died. Laertes, Claudius and Gertrude are buried her body and that place hamlet was and know about Ophelia’s death. He can’t control himself and he expresses his love with this words:

                             “I Lov’d Ophelia: forty thousand brothers

                             Could not, with all their quantity of love,

                             Make up my sum. What wilt thou do for her?” 

                  

                   Before hamlets back to Denmark Laertes back to Denmark and he know about the death of his father and Ophelia’s madness. He became very angry and he wants to take revenge with Hamlet. when hamlet saw that Laertes was very angry because of his father’s death that time he feels depression because he know that his father was murdered by Claudius but he can’t do any think for his father and laertes do for his father. that time Claudius use trick he tells  laertes that I will help you to kill Hamlet and he arrange the sword fight between Hamlet and laertes but laertes’s sword with poison he wants to kill hamlet and nobody can doubt him. This time Hamlet was back. laertes and hamlet start their fight with each other but Claudius wants to accidental death of Hamlet so he arranged a glass of poison but when Gertrude saw that Hamlet was win she happily drink that poison but she don’t know that that is a poison and accidently that poisonous sword was in hamlet’s hand and because of it laertes was near to die, but before he dies he tells the reality of Claudius to Hamlet. Gertrude was died that time and hamlet killed Claudius. That time hamlet killed Claudius and finally his revenge was completed. At the end of the play hamlet was also died because of poisonous sword.

This way Hamlet’s life face tragic fall and with it or just because of it Ophelia also face tragic fall in her life and face dangerous death.  During the play she face many problems just because of her feelings to Hamlet but Hamlet not give her concern or even care for her so in the play she is really innocent character with every one. Every one uses her for their personal intentions or works like Polonius and Claudius. when Polonius and Claudius use her but that time hamlet don’t know the tricks of Claudius and he misunderstood Ophelia and misbehave with her and very rudely insult her even broke down his relationship with her that time she really need concern from someone but nobody with her to share her pain.

Ophelia’s Relationship with Hamlet:

               

                   Ophelia and Hamlet are loved each other but because of some circumstances they not express their love to each other and care for it like, hamlets father’s mysterious death because of it Hamlet was very disturbed and depressed even he is pass through this pain he got new pain that his mother married with Claudius who is murderer of Hamlet’s father. This way Hamlet was very disturbed and it’s affected to Ophelia. She is hurt by Hamlet. When Polonius and Claudius use Ophelia to know about Hamlet’s rude and mysterious behavior that time Polonius and Claudius saw that what is during between Hamlet and Ophelia, they behind the mirror and Ophelia and Hamlet were this side. Hamlet doesn’t know about Polonius and Claudius. so he talk normally with Ophelia and expressed his love, But Ophelia suddenly denies her love so Hamlet become very angry He behave very rudely and insult very deeply, and hurt her. Because of her mother he is not trust any girl in the play. He uses these words with doubt:

                   “That if you be honest and fair, your honesty

                   Should admit no discourse to your beauty.”

“Ay, truly; for the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty can translate beauty into his likeness. This was some time a paradox, but now the time gives it proof. I did love you once.”

Hamlet has one best friend whom he trust a lot and shared all his problems or feelings so this way when we see psychologically he can’t depressed like Ophelia. So he is just show of that he is mad or just behave suspiciously but in real he is not become mad. So in Ophelia’s life there is three important people in her life is Laertes, Polonius and Hamlet. But main thing is that her father and her brother against with Hamlet and they hate him so because of it Ophelia is depressed and she can’t express her feelings about hamlet to her brother or father. And Hamlet is disturbed or depressed because of his personal problems or circumstances. so when we see psychologically to character of  Ophelia she did not express her feelings, problems or her own depression to any body, no one in her life to understand her and because of it when she became angry no one care about her even every one use her feelings and concern. 

                  

Ophelia always gives respect to their relationship. Even she used word MY LORD for Hamlet. She expresses her feelings with these words:

“O, what a noble mind is here O’er-thrown!

The Courtier’s, soldier’s, scholar’s, eye, tongue, sword;

Th’expectancy and rose of the fair state,

The glass of fashion and the mould of form,

Th’observ’d of all observes – quite, quite down!

And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,

That suck’d the honey of his music vows,

Now see that noble and most sovereign reason,

Like sweet  bells jangled, out of time and harsh;

That unmatch’d form and feature of blown youth

Blasted with ecstasy,O, woe is me

T’have seen what I have seen, see, what I see!”

This way Ophelia expressed her feelings, but no one try to understand her. After her insult by Hamlet mentally she is totally broken down. After some times she listen that Hamlet killed his father that time she mentally or physically totally broken down she think that whom she loves most he killed her father and her brother is not their so after all this thing she can’t handle the situation and she became mad.  

Ophelia’s Relation with Laertes:

               

          “My necessaries are embark’d. Farewell. And,

sister, as the winds give benefit

And convoy is assistant, do not sleep,

But let me hear from you”

       

                Laertes loved her sister. with this quotation we saw laertes’s affection for her sister. He wants best partner for her sister but when he know about hamlet and ophelia’s relationship he don’t like it and he tell his sister that hamlet was the prince of Denmark he is not love her he just use you so be careful or stay away from him. Ophelia respect her brother and sister’s relationship and laertes also do that but because of his hate for Hamlet Ophelia not share her feelings to her brother.  Ophelia replied him:

“ I shall the effect of this good lesson keep

As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother,

Do not, as some ungracious pastors do.

Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,

Whiles, like a puff’d and reckless libertine.

Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads and recks not his own rede.”

when he got a news that his father was killed by Hamlet that time he back to Denmark from France he didn’t get news from Ophelia that time he feel that something wrong with her and he wants to meet her and when he saw her sister as a mad he can’t express the pain of it. he blem  Hamlet because of his sisters this situation and his father’s death. he wants to take a revenge with Hamlet but he is not in denmark that time he became more angry. When he saw Ophelia she is totally losted her mental condition even she can’t found her brother for her help this was really painful situation for brother to face his sister like this way even they can’t tolerate it. With madness Ophelia sang a song like:

                            

“And will ‘a not come again?

And will ‘a not come again?

  No, no, he is dead,

Go to thy death-bed,

He never will come again,

His beard was as white as snow,

All flaxen was his poll;

He is gone , He is gone,

And we cast away moan:

God-a-mercy on his soul!

And of all christien souls, I pray God, God buy you.”

         

                                      

When laertes listen this he totally out of control from his anger he wants to kill Hamlet. but before Hamlet come from England Ophelia died and Claudius, laertes and Gertrude do her funeral ceremony at that place Hamlet comes and during the funeral ceremony laertes and Hamlet fights with each other but because of Claudius intrique and ophelia’s funeral ceremony they don’t do that. During this funeral ceremony laertes express his feelings like this way:

                   “ Lay her I’ th’ earth

And from her fair and unpolluted flesh

May violets spring! I tell thee, churlish   priest,

A minist’ring angel shall my sister be

When thou liest howling.”

Ophelia’s relation with Polonius:

                  

                   Ophelia’s father was Polonius. he is Lord Chamberlain.

so because of it he is connected with Claudius. Claudius was very practical person he has no feelings for any person except Gertrude he always use intriques for his personal requirements or intentions. Just like he use Polonius and Ophelia’s feelings for Hamlet. Polonius rudely behave with Ophelia he has no more concern to his daughter he just say and Ophelia has to do that and because of it Ophelia can’t say anything to her father so this is one of the most important think to she is depressed, and at the end of the play she became mad.

                   

                   Claudius wants some information from Hamlet so he use Polonius with Ophelia he force to Ophelia to read her or hamlet’s love letters at the presence of her father or queen Gertrude and because of her father’s forced she do it. This is really embracing for Ophelia that she has to read her personal letters from her father. Just because of this she can’t became angry on anyone so she is more became depressed and depressed. Before mirror scene Ophelia and Polonius talk like:

                  

Plonius:

“ Come, go with me I will go seek the king.

This is the very ecstasy of love,

Whose violent property fordoes itself,

And leads the will to desperate undertakings

As oft as any passion under heaven

That does affict our natures. I am sorry –

What, have you given him any hard words of late?”

                   Ophelia:

“ No, my good lord; but, as you did command,

                                      I did repel his letters, and denied

His access to me.”

                  

Claudius creates intriques against Hamlet that time he wants to use Ophelia to know whats going on in Hamlet’s mind so he creates one situation that Ophelia and Hamlet talk to each other and he and Polonius saw them what they talk between but Hamlet can’t saw them and they listen all that things. That time Ophelia go their and talk to hamlet and suddenly deny for her love and Hamlet was frustrate because of his father’s mysterious death so all his frustration came out on Ophelia and he became angry on her. He hurt her a lot.

But that time hamlet know that this doing Claudius and Polonius so he became more angry and he think that Ophelia support them but Ophelia don’t know about that intrique.           

                   Polonius hurt Ophelia but she really loved her father when Ophelia listen that her father murdered by Hamlet she lost her mental condition because that time his brother is not in denmark and hamlet badly hurt her and broke their relationship that time she has only support from her father but her father was dead so she totally losted and try to commit sucide. When laertes come she died.

Conclusion:

               

                   Shakespeare writes the play about Ophelia’s life only three persons are in her life and these three are man so they can’t understand the need, situation or feelings of Ophelia. They just tell her that you must do it but no one care about her to know that what Ophelia wants to do. No one care about her concern or care. In the whole play Ophelia was only character who is innocent who really do her work for relation not for any expectations from any one. She always cares for her relation with everyone like with Hamlet, her father or with her brother. She always wants to became happy because of her but she can’t do it because her brother not try to understand her feelings for hamlet he just want to stay away from him and she can’t do it and she is depressed. At the end we can say that just because of these three persons she became mad but mostly because of Polonius and laertes she is depressed and not happy with her life, But when Hamlet broke down his relationship with her and hurt her very rudely that time she broke down mentally and she became mad. J J J