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. I agree with your point in saying that the sexual references in Ophelias songs do account for her love of Hamlet. There with fantastic garlands did she come Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples That liberal shepherds give a grosser name, But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them; There, on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds Clamb'ring to hang, an envious sliver broke, When down her weedy trophies and herself Fell in the weeping brook. Its upsetting to see anyone go through all of these unfortunate circumstances because it realistically can happen to anybody. I assumed her song at 4.5.62-64, insinuates an alleged intimacy she had with Hamlet, and his promise to marry her if she were to agree to intimacy. Millais described the flies as more muscular in Surrey, that he was threatened with a notice to appear before a magistrate for trespassing in a field and destroying the hay, and finally, he also described the danger of being blown by the wind into the water and meeting the same fate as that of his protagonist Ophelia. 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. 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. Tweet. Details of Ophelia (1851-1852) by John Everett Millais; John Everett Millais, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Her madness stems from the death of her father but carries over once shes lost Hamlet. Ophelia was the character most greatly impacted by Hamlet's feigned and real madness - she first lost her father, her sanity, and then her life. We will start discussing the famous Ophelia (18511852) by John Everett Millais with a brief contextual analysis exploring the subject matter based on Hamlet and the artists process of creating the composition. The willow is symbolic to Ophelias death because it relates the What Does the Ophelia Painting Symbolize? She died about 30 seconds before her father, Daniel, arrived from the Tijuana dam. 3. In Shakespeare's play "Hamlet," Ophelia is a tragic figure whose untimely death serves as a catalyst for the events of the play. What is the importance of the gravedigger scene in the story of Hamlet? We see in act III that Ophelia is shaken by how Hamlet is treating her harshly where before he was kind and gentle. Furthermore, women would often be the main protagonists, and artists would depict them from live models. Further explicit references to Ophelias father, such as I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died. SO many questions that are generated by your post. I wonder which had more an effect? She has no way to prevent the death of her father, and no way to reason with the loss of Hamlets affection. I really enjoyed your post any how you revolved it around what you considered to be Ophelias madness. Her death can be viewed as a suicide which is what I had originally thought, but now after reading what you wrote, it can be viewed as Ophelia seriously becoming mad from all the tragedy she faced all at once. Hamlet was one of William Shakespeares most famous plays, the phrase by Hamlets character, to be, or not to be is emblazoned on the pages of history, but the character known as Ophelia, who turned mad and drowned in a brook, became a popular choice for subject matter throughout the Victorian era, and although she met a tragic end, she was the star of many paintings. Sam, Sam, 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. If it had been a suicide, she would not have a Christian burial at all, and only at the urging of the king was Log in here. Little by little, the revelations come with the aid of his fathers ghost. It is important to note that the flowers were significant during the Victorian era, holding various symbolic meanings. I think that throughout Hamlet, madness is exhibited in many forms and Hamlets madness is very different from Ofelias. The dominant colors in Ophelia by John Everett Millais are varieties of greens, however, Millais utilized different yellows, blues, whites, and blacks. It is interesting to me that you believe her suicide is due to both her fathers death AND her complex relationship with Hamlet. The second is Hamlet himself, who promised much to Ophelia, and whom Ophelia has probably has sex with. 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. Did Hamlet sleep with his mother? WebThere are suspicions surrounding the circumstances of Ophelia's death. The Ophelia painting needs to be viewed from far away, to see the entire image, and from up close, to not only see but experience the minute detail. She and her husband Thomas Combe were both friends as well as promoters of the pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood art, comparing the conditions as a greater punishment to a murderer than hanging. The pain of losing his beloved Sister fill I think that Hamlet and Laertes carried on Ophelias madness when she passed away and they both jumped into her grave. Or would her fate be the same? It is important to note that Ophelia was also closely associated with flowers, and certain flowers held symbolic meanings. Your email address will not be published. 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. What are they? I too agree you regarding Ophelia as a pitiable character in this Shakespeare play. Ophelia hasnt any direct control over the influential characters in her life. By the time we reach the end of Act IV, Ophelia has gone quite mad. Ophelias random singing was the first sign of madness when I first read it because instead of trying to save herself from drowning she was just calmly singing and letting the heavy water pile on top of her and her clothing. Share. Would she have been more proactive with trying to fight the current of the stream? Webin Hamlet's fifth soliloquy how do the circumstances of this soliloquy differ from those surrounding the previous four? 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 questions behind Ophelia's death has to do with her mental state at the time of her tragic flower-gathering. In the top left corner, atop one of the thin branches, is a robin. Or would her fate be the same? As youve done, its important to recognize that Ophelia is obviously mourning her father, and with great reason (he was indeed a vital figure in her life, especially considering she hadnt been married yet). I also wondered why she doesnt reach out to her brother for comfort, with him being so determined to seek revenge for their father, and I wonder how the plot would have changed as he stepped in to comfort her like he should have. Laertes then jumps into Ophelia's grave excavation, asking for the burial to wait until he has held her in his arms one last time and proclaims how much he loved her. Accessed 4 Mar. 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. Huntington Botanical Gardens has a web page devoted to the symbolism in Ophelia's flowers. 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. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/ Sam, I like the way that you wrote about Ophelia singing as her madness. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Video journalist: Emma Colman. 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. She does not decide to save herself, or to even deliver herself onto death, but ultimately ignores her freedom to choose and continues to abide by her own indifference. Last Update: October 15, 2022 This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. His astonishment, though, places him in danger. London and Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Pin 1. It is interesting to analyze this scene to see that both her fathers death and Hamlets acts led to her madness. You are right though, her character exists as a tragic character, unfortunately so because her character is so interesting. Cirencione detailed the circumstances that led to the death of Brandon M. Zurkan, 31, of Warren, Pa., during a media briefing at the sheriffs office Wednesday. I agree with the fact you believe her suicide is due to both her fathers death and her complex relationship with Hamlet. We both wrote about Ophelia! 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). It depicts the scene of Ophelias death described by Queen Gertrude in Act 4, Scene 7. 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. Sam, The death of a woman is under investigation after authorities said she was found in her apartment on Stella Link Road. Ophelias random singing was the first sign of madness when I first read it because instead of trying to save herself from drowning she was just calmly singing and letting the heavy water pile on top of her and her clothing. Ophelia (18511852), painted by John Everett Millais, was based on the character from William Shakespeares famous play Hamlet (c. 15991601). Sam, . Her head is situated to the left of the composition, and her feet face towards the right-hand side. Laertess father, Polonius, was also killed by Claudius. There is a necklace of purple violets around her neck and a small pink rosebud on its stem near her right ear. 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. Sam, I really enjoyed your post any how you revolved it around what you considered to be Ophelias madness. Cirencione detailed the circumstances that led to the death of Brandon M. Zurkan, 31, of Warren, Pa., during a media briefing at the sheriffs office Wednesday. 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). We see in act III that Ophelia is shaken by how Hamlet is treating her harshly where before he was kind and gentle. Yet here she is allowed her virgin crants, Her maiden strewments, and the bringing home Of bell and burial. I never picked up on those lines of her song in relation to Hamlet breaking his promise of marrying her. SO many questions that are generated by your post. This description might support Ophelia's accidental death as a result of her madness. I think that Hamlet and Laertes carried on Ophelias madness when she passed away and they both jumped into her grave. 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). Her clothes spread wide. The priest refuses, saying that, because she committed suicide, he must deny Ophelia the requiem mass and other trappings of a Christian burial, even though Ophelia will be buried on sacred ground. Ophelias subservience is taken to an entirely new level through the event of her death. I definitely feel that before Polonius dies she is effected by how Hamlet treats her, which the argument I made in my post. She is a victim of circumstances beyond her control, and her ultimate demise serves as a poignant reminder of the destructive power of manipulation and betrayal. Hamlet has fallen in love with Ophelia after the death of his father. I loved your analysis on Ophelia and your text examples on how she viewed each horrific death of her loved ones. I think your suggestion that Ophelias madness is also the consequential result of her failed relationship with Hamlet is totally credible. 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. One theory is that she deliberately drowned herself in the river out of 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 The Ophelia painting was exhibited in 1852 at the Royal Academy of Arts and received a variety of responses, some criticisms, and some praises, for example, The Morning Chronicle from 1852 described it as startling in its originality and a review in The Times newspaper likened Ophelia as a dairymaid in a frolic. There are a few reasons for why Hamlet treats Ophelia so badly. The first is her connection to Polonius. By keeping her off guard, Hamlet keeps Polonius and the King confused as well. The play leaves Hamlets awareness open ended. Hamlet could not know whether Ophelia was actively involved or simply being used.