Most of the attention in William Shakespeare's Hamlet is directed towards the play's namesake, the Prince of Denmark or at least King Claudius, the wicked uncle who murdered his brother and seduced his wife. Critics and readers contemplate the inner workings of Hamlet's mind, but do not devote as much thought to Ophelia's boring and seemingly one-dimensional character. She is defined by her relationships with other individuals: the daughter of a noble courtier, the lover of the prince who assassinates her father and the sister of a brother with a fairly powerful political status. A young woman confined by habit and custom to a fairly servile role, she does not arouse much interest at first and seems to act simply as a basic plot device. However, the author had larger plans in mind for this character; Shakespeare uses Ophelia to illustrate the dual nature of women in Hamlet's eyes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Throughout the play, Hamlet has a distorted view of women as heartless sexual demons who can sometimes demonstrate virtue and innocence. He almost sees them as instinctive animals with extreme uncontrollable behaviors, instead of sentient human beings whose actions might oscillate somewhere between these two extreme points. Through Ophelia, we notice Hamlet's transformation into a man who believes that "the women who seem purest are inwardly black with corruption and sexual desire" (Shakespeare-Online). Does this explanation of a woman's temperament ring true? A closer look at Ophelia's actions and the circumstances surrounding them will provide insight into whether Ophelia is a seductive temptress, a pure virgin, or an example of dual nature. The first clue to Shakespeare's true intentions regarding the character of Ophelia comes directly from the name itself. The etymology of Ophelia would have two possibilities. One option claims that it is derived from the Greek word meaning "help" or "rescue". The word could also come from “ophis” meaning “serpent” (English). If Hamlet was in fact as educated as one would assume by attending a university such as the University of Wittenberg, he would have acquired knowledge of the Greek language. The realization of this interesting dichotomy of Ophelia's name could indeed disturb Hamlet, and this could very well have led him to be cautious in handling his relationship with Ophelia. Another interesting perspective on the character of Ophelia is that found in countless works of art spanning from the 18th century to the present day (Arts). Most of the photos are solo portraits, emphasizing Ophelia's loneliness and lack of friendly connections, especially after all the authoritative male figures in her life abandon her. Many of these images depict her in nature, wearing flowing white dresses with long, loose hair, which could represent a childlike innocence and simple character. The various faces either have a strangely calm expression, depicting Ophelia's strange behavior as she is drowning, or a slightly distraught appearance when she is caught off guard in a certain position. Although most of these likenesses only imply purity, several paintings retain a sexual element, even if it is only a seductive aspect. For example, a few images reveal more of Ophelia than might be considered modest or appropriate. Without even fully realizing what they were doing, the artists of these pieces captured certain details, however minute, of thedual nature of Ophelia in Hamlet and unconsciously represented it in their works. Although such an outcome is likely unintentional, Polonius makes his own daughter a whore. When Ophelia becomes frightened and dismayed by Hamlet's wild appearance and behavior towards her while he was in her room, she rushes to her father for advice. In response to what he has just heard, that Hamlet appeared before her, looking "as if he had come from hell / To speak of horrors", he goes to the royal court ( II, i, 75-120). There, Polonius plans with Queen Gertrude and King Claudius to use Ophelia's charms to spy and find out why Hamlet is going crazy. Although Polonius is unaware of this insinuation, Hamlet calls him a “fishmonger,” which can mean a merchant in an unsavory trade; in other words, Hamlet calls him a pimp (II, ii, 173). He continues the conversation by casually warning Polonius of the possible conception of his daughter (II, ii, 184-185). At times like this, when he openly displays their intimacy, it is obvious that Ophelia has also become a prostitute because of her love Hamlet. One thing seems to make Hamlet more furious about Ophelia's lustful nature than anything else: the fact that she "placed her sense of love and duty to another man above her sense of 'love and duty towards him' (Shakespeare-Online). When Ophelia obeys her father and tries to end her relationship with Hamlet, he painfully remembers a very similar situation (III, i, 90-102). He can't help but make the connection with how his mother, Queen Gertrude, chose his uncle King Claudius, disregarding his loyalty to his late father, King Hamlet. If we consider these choices to have a sexual connotation, as Hamlet believes, then these “more imperative” relationships could easily be considered incestuous. Ophelia is once again forced into prostitution, not out of preference, but because she must follow the path that her controlling male counterparts, and therefore society, have laid out for her. As Hamlet reels from Ophelia's recent initiation of their separation, he spits "take yourself to a convent" (III, i, 121). At first it seems that he may be trying to preserve her goodness and protect her from the evil ways of men by ordering her to flee to a convent and away from the sin of men. However, when he repeats the same verse with the addition of the line: "Or, if you want, you must marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them." Go to a convent, and quickly too. " (III, I, 136-139). Obviously he is not referring to a convent in the literal sense if he is so bitter and includes "if you must marry", because someone living in a convent could not not marry Hamlet makes it clear with these lines that he speaks of a convent as slang for a brothel, and that he believes that women, or "monsters" as he calls them, lead to corruption. of men Despite the efforts of the men in her life to make her a whore, it is obvious to those who are not blinded by indignation and distress that Ophelia symbolizes goodness Characterized by innocence and naivety. childish, she was sheltered by her brother Laertes and her father Polonius all her life (Hamlet Haven Knowing only loyalty and love towards Polonius and Laertes, Ophelia has no other reason to believe than they think). to her well-being when they ask her to beware of Hamlet (I, iii). For example, as she watches the play with him, she only responds, "I think of nothing, my lord." her question of whether she thinks he talks “dirty” to her. Even as Hamlet continues?