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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 5 page paper which examines the songs Ophelia sings and what they reveal about her character and her madness. No additional sources are used.
Page Count:
5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: TG15_TGophmad.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
an antic disposition on (I.iii.163) as a way of concealing his plot to expose Claudius as his fathers murderer, the madness Ophelia demonstrates in the aftermath of her fathers murder
is quite different. In her famous mad scene, Act IV, Scene V, when a grieving Ophelia arrives at Elsinore Castle to call upon King Claudius and Queen Gertrude, she
offers a brief glimpse not only into her fragile mental state, but into her innocent and childlike character as well. Ophelia is a young woman who never had any
strong female role models in her life. Her mother, it can be assumed, died when she was young, and she was completely coddled and shielded from lifes harsh realities
by her overprotective father Polonius and older brother Laertes. She had depended on men her entire life and when, in rapid succession, she is persuaded by Hamlet that he
no longer loves her and then he accidentally kills her father and staunchest guardian, Ophelia is left alone, lonely, and extremely vulnerable. In this scene, there is a distinct sense
that reality has become entirely too painful for Ophelia. Therefore, in her mind, she goes back to her happy, carefree childhood, where hours were spent singing songs and learning
nursery rhymes. When Gertrude inquires as to how she is doing, Ophelia sings, "How should I your true-love know / From another one? / By his cockle hat and
staff / And his sandal shone" (IV.v.23-26). While this could be a reference to her dapper father, it may also be conveying a sentiment about her true-love, Hamlet.
After all, when she became romantically involved with him, he replaced Polonius in her heart as the most important man in her life. She continues on singing the lament,
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