The Role of Ophelia in William Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- Papers Sh

The Role of Ophelia in William Shakespeares Hamlet Although Ophelia is not a main eccentric person in the revenge tragedy Hamlet her dramatic purpose is full of life to the play. It emphasizes the poisoned automobile trunk politic and its affects on the innocent. The role of women in the sixteenth part century is to be obedient and obedient, the totally way to accomplish this was to be passive. Women in the sixteenth century were meant to be obedient to their fathers, for they were their property until such a duration came when she was married, it would then be her husband to whom her duties lied. Denmark is in a state of funny house shown by the opening death of the true King Hamlet who was kill by his own brother Claudius, Claudius then seduced his brothers wife and took over the propel of Denmark. Due to this chaos innocence, loyalties and love are corrupted and all that was accept fitting and dutiful falls into darkness under the ruling of ev il. Ophelia is a women of the motor lodge her duty is to her father Polonius, and her brother Laertes. It is her fathers intentions to marry Ophelia off to a fitted and profitable match. We first meet Ophelia whilst she is saying farewell to her active brother, Laertes, who is passing play with friends to university leaving Ophelia with only her father to tend to her needs. Un worry her brother, Ophelia is passive, a dutiful daughter and everything she should be for a women of the court in the sixteenth century. up to now this is only acceptable in a righteous Court, Denmark however is in a state of chaos and Ophelias passivity can only lead to her destruction. Whilst Ophelia is talking to her father once Laertes has left for universi... ... play to cadence the corruption, she is a catalyst for the revenge tragedy, for without her death we would not be able to understand the true corruption and evil that runs its course through Denmark like poison . Ophelia may not be a main character or agent in the play but her dramatic purpose is vital to the plays understanding and interpretation. To conclude Ophelia is vital to the play and its understanding even though she is not a protagonist, without her innocent and passive character it would be disenfranchised to understand the true destructive nature of the mislead court. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Rebecca West The disposition Of Will in Hamlet Norton critical edition p.230 2 Rebecca West The temper Of Will in Hamlet Norton critical edition p.231