It'd be a lie to say that Hamlet had nothing to do with it, though her father and her brother had equal parts in what happened to her... Words may be simple speech, but they can so devastate the mind as to break it. This Seng fellow claims that, "The distorted vision of the world that Polonius and Laertes impress on Ophelia in this episode [Act 1, Scene 3] is clearly the beginning of her tragedy" (Seng, 222). I can possibly see where he's coming from with this, especially with Polonius saying, "Tender yourself more dearly;
/Or—not to crack the wind of the poor phrase,/Running it thus—you'll tender me a fool (1.3.107-109)". Her father is telling her that, if she doesn't take care, she'll end up making a fool of him - putting his desires above those of her daughter. I understand protection, but telling her simply to not pursue her love because he doesn't want to be made a fool of - how selfish, how greedy! To shame with him, though his desires may be understood. On top of it, her brother says to her, "/And keep you in the rear of your affection,/Out of the shot and danger of desire (1.3.33-35)". She has not only her father, but her brother telling her to keep away or be cautious around the boy. Yet her love draws her into Hamlet, and she is in conflict of how to feel! Her father telling her to avoid it from fear of his own honor, and her brother - at least hopefully - out of fear for her safety and emotions... And then there's Hamlet. Ooooh that 'son' of mine certainly has a mind of his own to say some of the things he has said to her! Even if they were some... Some plan, or even madness - though I doubt that by now - that brings him to say things like, "To a nunnery, go (3.1.149)" - implying she should go to a brothel, how absurd and crude of him to say to someone loving him so! Why, if I were to say that to Gertrude... Well, let's say the results would not be pleasant. But instead, the girl only fell more in love, head over heels. How could she possibly stay in her right mind with her love talking down to her and telling her all sorts of nasty things?Something I'll sadly have to agree with is when Seng said, "For Ophelia, as for Hamlet, Denmark has become a prison, and she is all alone at Elsinore. It is the realization of this fact, coming on top of all the earlier horrors, that destroys her sanity" (Seng, 219). Even with all the people she had to talk to my castle - and for that matter, the surrounding area - , she still was alone. She would hardly talk to anyone but Hamlet and her family, if I can recall correctly. A shame... Maybe if she had simply attached to more people she mightn't have gone so far gone. Or maybe if she had better taste in those she chased... Ah, but I dishonor her memory. A good girl with a poor ability to remove herself from a harmful relationship. Mayhaps her father would have done better to send her along with Laertes to France, and we could have avoided the whole situation of her becoming mad... Even when she fell into the water, according to Gertrude, Ophelia "chanted snatches of old lauds;
/As one incapable of her own distress (4.7.177-178)". See? She wasn't even able to help herself where others - myself included - should have been helping her more. Giving her comfort, giving her consoling. Instead, we focus on other things, and paid for it with her death. Well... That was a rather depressing post, wasn't it? Unfortunately, my faithful followers, dark things do happen in distressful times, whether we wish them to or not... However, know this: we WILL come out of all this only stronger than before! We are a united country, no matter who says otherwise, no matter what it may seem! Long live Denmark, my faithful followers, and please, trust me when I say this shall have a happy ending!
Sincerely,
Dear My Lord,
ReplyDeleteYou say I am mad. You say I could have had “meanings that would be most rude”. Well let me just make it clear that I had no such intentions. As well as the fact that you call me insane is in no particular way flattering from my perspective of things. As King of Denmark shouldn’t you be more careful in your word choice? I am very respectful, even to you my King, even in the days very soon to my “going insane” (as some may call it), I spoke of you as “The King rises” (3.2.291). Even then, when you came to me asking what had happened, did I reference to you in any mean or harmful way? I had responded to you then with an “I hope all will be well” (4.5.73) in a very respectful manner. Yet I do seem to agree with you on several comments you made about how Hamlet was very rude to me in the manner in which he spoke and also to what he referenced such as me going into a “nunnery”, and especially how “he took me by the wrist and held me hard” (2.1.99). Hamlet is in every way gone mad 100%, and as you wish for him to come back to sanity I wish for him to come back to me as my lover. I’m so lost without him I was “a maid at your window , to be your Valentine” (4.5.56).
Your Lady,
Ophelia