980 Words4 Pages. I think that the most obvious cause that leads to Ophelias death is her fathers murder, but I like your point that it could indeed be because of her obsession with Hamlet, who has gone mad. And mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up; Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes, Or like a creature native and endued unto. The gravediggers are used to clearly foreshadow that more deaths will occur in this tragic play, and the audience is made to wonder for whom the next grave will be readied. SARAH: Ophelia continues to float on the surface of the water for just a brief moment then her clothing becomes waterlogged and pulls her under. We both wrote about Ophelia! Although the loss of Ophelia was an accident that could have got avoided if Ennis had got himself some glasses to saw. Accessed 4 Mar. Ophelias maddness I believe, like you, is caused be her loss of her loved ones. Lee was still alive at that point. The evidence suggesting that she is simply mourning her father is obvious, as lines from one of her many songs points towards grieving over an aged relative His beard as white as snow / All flaxen was his poll with flaxen here indicating a white or grayed head of hair (4.5.190-191). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When Ophelia's death is first relayed to the audience by Queen Gertrude, she talks about Ophelia drowning accidentally, after a branch from the willow tree breaks off, causing Ophelia to fall into the waters. In the midst of her inner turmoil, her depression worsens as she learns that Claudius then promises to have a monument constructed in her memory. Its implied through several of Ophelias songs, the one you mentioned, and her one just before that where she sings Let in the maid, that out a maid / Never departed more (4.5.54-55). I know the focus is mainly on Hamlet and his questionable madness, but in a way I definitely see how Ophelia went somewhat mad as well! Ophelia hasnt any direct control over the influential characters in her life. In the story of Shadehill by Mark Hitz revolves around a family who is suddenly looking at the death of Ophelia who was a twin sister to Patsy in the family. WebIt was the death of Hamlets father that becomes the focal point of the play. I think your suggestion that Ophelias madness is also the consequential result of her failed relationship with Hamlet is totally credible. With the loss of her father, brother, and her lover all extremely close together is enough to make anyone go mad I suppose. Towards the middle foreground is a mossy/algae patch with small white flowers growing from it, which could be stream water crowfoot. At Hi Sam, RALPH: The second image of Ophelia that Gertrude proposes is as if she were "a creature native and endued unto that element" in other words, as if Ophelia were a water nymph, or, as Gertrude said a few lines earlier, a mermaid, who fits in so well with this scene that its as if she belonged there, as if it were her home. I know the focus is mainly on Hamlet and his questionable madness, but in a way I definitely see how Ophelia went somewhat mad as well! Characters drop one after the other, poisoned, stabbed, and, in the case of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, executed, as the theme of revenge and justice reaches its conclusion in the moment when Hamlet finally kills Claudius. Additionally, there is also the long rectangular shape created by the horizontal body of water, while the willow tree stump has a seemingly rounded rectangular shape as it juts out from the foliage and above the water. Alternatively, it is possible that her madness and confusion caused her to accidentally fall into the water and drown. It was as if Ophelia did not know what was happening to her. There are also several other flowers like a red poppy, daisies, a deep violet/blue cornflower, white jasmine, pansies, marsh marigolds, a cabbage rose, Irises, fritillaries, and more floating down the waters current, mostly along Ophelias right side (our left). Some see Ophelia's death as an accident; others see it as a suicide resulting 25 minutes ago. Lee had made his way down to Wilmer to sell narcotics two these two individuals. Webwhat are the circumstances of ophelia's death?how to make an infinite block in minecraft. Problems that could have prompted her to end her life which include being thought of as an obedient piece of property. I wonder which had more an effect? Her clothes spread wide, And mermaid-like a while they bore her up, Which time she chanted snatches of old lauds As one incapable of her own distress, Or like a creature native and indued Unto that element. Print of Sir John Everett Millais Ophelia (Shakespeares Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 7) by James Stephenson;John Everett Millais, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. what star wars does luke train with yoda how to build a privacy fence on a deck. He believes that praying is useless he wont be forgiven unless he gives up everything that he killed for - the crown and the might. what star wars does luke train with yoda how to build a privacy fence on a deck. WebOphelias death is, arguably, an honorable one, characterized by her willingness to let go of her submissive, earth-bound self and leave the world no longer a victim. She appears almost unaware of the fact that she is drowning (As one incapable of her own distress), and she is still singing, as per Queen Ophelias description of her in Hamlet (Act 4, Scene 7), which was mentioned earlier in the article. And you remember the whole business of Ophelia 's burial. It is almost as though the natural order has been disturbed by the death of King Hamlet and Ofelia is a casualty in the war to get the state of Denmark to not be quite so rotten. STORY: Vincenzo Luciano is telling us he raced to the beach from his house, which is nearby, jumped into the water with his clothes on, and pulled out a little boy.He's a fisherman here in Steccato di Cutro, Italy - the scene of that massive shipwreck on Sunday (February 26) that killed at least 67 migrants trying to cross into Europe, including Sam, Hi Sam, Your email address will not be published. However you dont have to take her description at face value. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. There are several possible interpretations of the circumstances surrounding Ophelia's death. Its quite the strain to put on anyones mental state. Latest answer posted December 25, 2020 at 10:45:45 AM. Ophelias songs show her slipping into further madness with a lot of bizarre sexually-laced lyrics and while reading this portion of the play I just felt bad for her. Ophelia goes mad because her father, Polonius, whom she deeply loved, has been killed by Hamlet. In addition, Hamlet, whom she also loved, has cruelly rejected her. What was Ophelia doing when she drowned? However, he is often quoted from one of his letters written to Mrs. Martha Combe. In memory of the BARCS late employee passing, a celebration of life will be held on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Chasseur, 3328 Foster Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224. WebThe Innocence of Gertrude and Ophelia Pretty Ophelia, as Claudius calls her, is the most innocent victim of Hamlets revenge in Shakespeare s play Hamlet. who tells Claudio and Laertes the circumstances of Ophelias death? Through this face, Ophelias death is attached with beauty and tenderness rather than fear and ugliness. Video journalist: Emma Colman. John Everett Millais depicted some of these flowers in the Ophelia painting, which we will explore in the visual description below, but he also depicted the flowers and foliage from the Hogsmill River and its bank. We both wrote about Ophelia! Both her father and her brother believe that Hamlet is using her to achieve his own personal goals. I like the way that you wrote about Ophelia singing as her madness. He was born in Southampton, Hampshire in England. There arent any other characters in the play that her references to promised love could be accountable for WebOphelia was caught up in the political and emotional intrigue and died in mysterious circumstances. In Shakespeare's play "Hamlet," Ophelia is a tragic figure whose untimely death serves as a catalyst for the events of the play. Sam, Would she have been more proactive with trying to fight the current of the stream? It is interesting to analyze this scene to see that both her fathers death and Hamlets acts led to her madness. Maybe if Hamlet wasnt such an ass to her she wouldnt have committed suicide because I think that was truly the last straw for her. There are also other colors from the various flowers, providing more variety as well as enhancing the subject matter and symbolic meanings. Her clothes spread wide. WebThe questions behind Ophelia's death has to do with her mental state at the time of her tragic flower-gathering. WebYet much speculation remains about the details of her death. There arent any other characters in the play that her references to promised love could be accountable for London and Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul. We both wrote about Ophelia! Her death could be either interpreted as an accident or suicide. She is a tragic figure who is caught in the crosshairs of the power struggle between Hamlet and his family, and her love for Hamlet ultimately leads to her downfall. I loved your analysis on Ophelia and your text examples on how she viewed each horrific death of her loved ones. Her head is situated to the left of the composition, and her feet face towards the right-hand side. Below we will look at the visual composition of Ophelia by John Everett Millais, starting with a description of the subject matter and then how the artist created it in terms of color, texture, line, shape, form, and space. While it is evident that Ophelia is grieving over the death of her father, Polonius, as Horatio says of her She speaks much of her father, says she hears / Theres tricks in the world, and hems, and beats her heart (4.5.4-5), a secondary cause of Ophelias madness may be in fact about her failed relationship with Hamlet as well. Sam, He was also made Baronet in 1885. I think both her fathers death and her relationship with Hamlet made her depressed and unfortunately made her commit this awful act of suicide. At such an early age, her life was taken. I still dont know if I see Ophelias death as a suicide because of the fact that her clothes led to her death and all, but with all of the circumstances around her, I think that she definitely did not fight her death for a purpose. Because Polonius was such a vital figure in her life, she is likely bereaved beyond help and thus does not recognize her brother. Alongside its appearances in pop culture like film, television, and music, the Ophelia painting has influenced modern artists like the Surrealist Salvador Dal, who also produced an iteration of the scene titled Ophelias Death (1973). Her death is reported by Queen Gertrude, Hamlets mother, in great poetic Answers. All the major protagonists and antagonists in the play die in the end. Her unexpected death left her loved ones in mourning. WebOphelias father had been killed by Hamlet; anyone put in that situation would likely have thoughts of suicide. Her madness stems from the death of her father but carries over once shes lost Hamlet. She has no way to prevent the death of her father, and no way to reason with the loss of Hamlets affection. Sam, Check out our page on William Shakespeare's Hamlet here! In the begining of the play Ophelia knows that Hamlet loves her yet decides to keep her distance because her brother tells her to. Well written! Also, in the description of her death it is obviously displaying Ophelia 's madness. Ophelia seems to be much a more complex character the more that I read about her and I think she is underrated because of that. As the scene opens, two gravediggers are conversing about the suspicious manner of Ophelia's death. Ultimately, this emotional turmoil leads to Ophelia's descent into madness and her tragic death. At that point in time, it seemed to be an attribute to Ophelia letting herself go; but since you are comparing and including it within the madness of Ophelia I now find myself second guessing whether or not it was her letting herself go or if she was in fact mad. Art styles before or pre-Raphael were inspirations, and some of the main artistic characteristics were painting realistically, true to nature, also described as Naturalism, and depicting subjects from literature or sometimes the Bible. I really enjoyed your post any how you revolved it around what you considered to be Ophelias madness. If it had been a suicide, she would not have a Christian burial at all, and only at the urging of the king was Note that Gertrude depicts Ophelia as less than human: she is mermaid-like, as well sees her as a passive creature held captive by tragic circumstances only to be freed in death. I like that you included her singing in what you believed to be madness, because I too brought up her mindless singing in my post about her death. Wiltshire. Webin Hamlet's fifth soliloquy how do the circumstances of this soliloquy differ from those surrounding the previous four? I definitely feel that before Polonius dies she is effected by how Hamlet treats her, which the argument I made in my post. As the play progresses, Ophelia becomes increasingly isolated and distressed as she is manipulated by the men in her life, particularly her father and brother, who forbid her from seeing Hamlet. This is compounded on by a following line, You promised me to wed, / So would I a done, by yonder sun, / An thou hadst not come to my bed. and it is this part of Ophelias song that likely damns Hamlet as a cause of her mental fracturing (4.5.62-64). SO many questions that are generated by your post. Further explicit references to Ophelias father, such as I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died. I think your suggestion that Ophelias madness is also the consequential result of her failed relationship with Hamlet is totally credible. Yet here she is allowed her virgin crants, Her maiden strewments, and the bringing home Of bell and burial. The fact that the water completely weighs her down and she doesnt even car is shocking because she shouldnt have died but her showing that shows how depressed she was. I think that the most obvious cause that leads to Ophelias death is her fathers murder, but I like your point that it could indeed be because of her obsession with Hamlet, who has gone mad. Because of the strong religious sanction against suicide, Ophelia would not want to risk damnation. Instead of calling for help, she "chanted snatches of old tunes / as one incapable of her own distress." SARAH: Ophelia made a wreath of flowers and attempted to hang it on the branches of the willow. Sam, Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, Pulled the poor wretch from her melodious lay, myShakespeare | Hamlet 4.7 Gertrudes Description of Ophelia's Death. Despite whether or not the cause of her madness is her fathers death or the loss of her boyfriend or something entirely different, Ofelia almost falls into madness. Hi Sam, I like your post and your analysis of Ophelias character. Ophelias Role in Hamlet by William Shakespeare In Hamlet, one of the many things Shakespeare shows us is how the world can change a person, how certain circumstances can knock a person so out of proportion with who they used to be that they take on a new persona, a new identity. There, on the pendant boughs her coronet weeds Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke, When down her weedy trophies and herself Fell in the weeping brook. It is likely that Ophelia has fixated upon Hamlets detestable oath breaking so much so that in not requiting her love, Hamlet has broken both her heart and her poor mind. In Act Four she spirals into madness and dies under ambiguous circumstances. We both wrote about Ophelia! The famous Ophelia (18511852) oil-on-canvas was painted by John Everett Millais, who was part of the pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood art group, and one of its founders. The evidence suggesting that she is simply mourning her father is obvious, as lines from one of her many songs points towards grieving over an aged relative His beard as white as snow / All flaxen was his poll with flaxen here indicating a white or grayed head of hair (4.5.190-191). Her beauty, innocence and determination to love Hamlet as young as she was leads her to do things that she would not have done if she had clear knowledge of What major philosophical points dominate Hamlet's soliloquy in Scene 1? It depicts the scene of Ophelias death described by Queen Gertrude in Act 4, Scene 7. Ophelia is forced to give up the one she loves due to what others are telling her to do so, and because of her fathers prying he ultimately dies. The fact that this grief drives Ophelia to madness reveals her overwhelming feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness, and the power that the men in Ophelia's life wield over her. WebSummary Of Mark Hitz's Shadehill. who tells claudius and laertes about the circumstances surrounding ophelias death? Laertess revenge was very similar yet different from the actions of Hamlet and Fortinbras. Ophelias Hamlet has fallen in love with Ophelia after the death of his father. When Laertes breaks in on Claudius and Gertrude, Claudius asserts his innocence with regard to Poloniuss death. I do think that she is a tragic character in this play, and I do think that it is in a pitiable way, because of the events that she has gone through. Well written! Hamlets madness is directly correlated to his fathers death and the appearance of his fathers ghost. I too agree you regarding Ophelia as a pitiable character in this Shakespeare play. I wonder if her father didnt die would she have reacted to this accident in the same way? It is interesting to me that you believe her suicide is due to both her fathers death AND her complex relationship with Hamlet. Her There were also several types of flowers mentioned in the play when Queen Gertrude described the natural setting where Ophelia died, explaining: therewith fantastic garlands did she make of crow flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples. How does Ophelia take the news of her fathers death in Hamlet? With the loss of her father, brother, and her lover all extremely close together is enough to make anyone go mad I suppose. With our Essay Lab, you can create a customized outline within seconds to get started on your essay right away. Did Hamlet Sleep with Ophelia? It causes many people to wonder if she should even be Ophelias death was doubtful because, once she fell into the brook, she appears to have made no attempt to save herself. I too agree you regarding Ophelia as a pitiable character in this Shakespeare play. SARAH: Gertrude offers two different visions here of Ophelia singing as she sinks into the water the first is of someone unaware of her life-threatening danger, and seems to convey Ophelia's actual state. Understanding the law of suicide is crucial to understanding the controversy regarding Ophelias burial rites. Her madness affects her death because she is oblivious to the danger which surrounds her. An independent inquiry into the circumstances of Ms Sturgess' death will continue this year. Also Hamlet's own madness and isolation is a cause in Ophelia's deteriorating mental condition. Or would her fate be the same? The walker caught in the ventilation fan fell on top of her and took a chuck out of her clavicle. WebA semi-circular canvas set in a rectangular frame. But, we cant ignore the lines that signify the other figure her grieving is fixated upon: Hamlet. Latest answer posted November 19, 2020 at 1:33:52 PM. Over all, your post cleared up some misconceptions for me and went in depth on a character I would have liked to discuss more in class. WebOphelias death was more likely to have been an accident than suicide. The orientation of the composition itself is landscape, which creates an overall horizontal linearity, emphasized by Ophelias placement in the scene; her body and the part of the stream she floats in both create a horizontal band running through the center of the canvas. Both the loss of her beloved father and Hamlet 's rejection of her The fleeing from marraige, I thought was caused do to a lack of purity in Ophelia. What Does the Ophelia Painting Symbolize? This line directly references an older man and because of this detail, Poloniuss death has obviously taken its toll on Ophelias psyche, causing her to spout such wild and woeful songs. Shakespeare and the Question of Theory. In Hamlet, why does Ophelia return the letter and presents Hamlet gave her. WebThrough Ophelias interactions with the men of the play, the audience can see that the male-dominated society brings inequality, distrust, and destruction. I really liked the points you brought up about Ophelia, I wrote about her in my blog post as well. They say a made a good end. give more credence to Ophelias shattered mental state, as she is constantly fixating on the death of Polonius, so much so that every single thing reminds her of his passing (4.5.180-181). WebOphelias death, at first glance, could be thought of as an accident which is completely disgraceful during her time period. RALPH: Gertrude describes how her clothing spread out over the surface of the water, keeping her afloat for a moment, while she sang songs of praise, or perhaps hymns. The Ophelia painting has been a botanists beacon for identifying flowers and plants as well as a tale of death and how Ophelia met her demise surrounded by the ever-beautiful bouquets of flowers. Ophelias subservience is taken to an entirely new level through the event of her death. You are right though, her character exists as a tragic character, unfortunately so because her character is so interesting. The next time Ophelia appears is at the Mousetrap Play, Later that night, after the play, Hamlet kills Polonius The last time Ophelia appears in the play is after Laertes comes to the castle to challenge Claudius over the death of his father, Polonius. An independent inquiry into the circumstances of Ms Sturgess' death will continue this year. This can also be conveyed through various other elements like color, shapes, and the scale of objects, as well as how much detail is depicted, which is noticeable in Millaiss Ophelia painting. What's the meaning of this quote from Hamlet: "We're oft to blame and this is just too much proved that with devotion's visage and pious action we do sugar o'er the Devil himself"? Hamlet in the Graveyard Act 5 Scene 1 of Hamlet opens in a graveyard. Upvoting all ! Required fields are marked *. This will be followed by a formal analysis, first discussing the subject matter in greater detail, and then looking at the artists techniques according to the seven art elements, color, texture, line, shape, form, and space, respectively. Hi Sam, Who tells Claudius and Laertes about the circumstances surrounding Ophelia's death?

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