Ophelia's Decent Into Madness

Ophelia's Decent Into Madness

Madness

Gentlemen:"She is importunate. Indeed distract. Her mood will needs be pitied...She speaks much of her father, says she hears.There’s tricks i' th' world, and hems, and beats her heart,Spurns enviously at straws, speaks things in doubt that carry but half sense. Her speech is nothing.Yet the unshaped use of it doth move the hearers to collection. They yawn at it. And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts. Which, as her winks and nods and gestures yield them, indeed would make one think there might be thought. Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily."(Hamlet. Act 4. Scene 5. Lines 5-13)

Polonious:"Oh, this is the poison of deep grief. It springs all from her father’s death, and now behold! O Gertrude, Gertrude, when sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions. First, her father slain.

Next, your son gone, and he most violent author of his own just remove. The people muddied, thick, and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers...Poor Ophelia, divided from herself and her fair judgment.

Without the which we are pictures, or mere beasts." (Hamlet. Act 4. Scene 5. Lines 75-85)

Ophelia slowly spiraled into

complete madness as a result of Hamlet's irratic behaviour and Polonious' death.

Madness/ Insanity

Decietfulness:

Ophelia:"Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so."

Hamlet:" You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoclulate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not!"

Ophelia:"I was the more decieved."

(Hamlet. Act 3. Scene 1. Lines 116-120)

Ophelia is no longer convinced that Hamlet loves her. She is now hurt & decieved by Hamlet's harsh words.

Decietfulness

Convincement

Queen Gertrude: "...And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish that your good beauties be the happy cause of Hamlet's wildness. So shall I hope your virtues will bring him to his wonted way again..."

Ophelia: "Madam, I wish it may." (Hamlet. Act 3. Scene 1. Lines 38-43)

Convincement

Hamlet: "I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. God has given you one face and you make yourselves another. You jig and amble, and you lisp, you nickname...Go to, I’ll no more on ’t. It hath made me mad. I say, we will have no more marriages. Those that are married already, all but one, shall live...To a nunnery, go.

Ophelia:"O, help him, you sweet heavens...O heavenly powers, restore him! O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! Th' courtier's, scholar's, soldier's, eye, tongue, sword. Th' expectancy and rose of the fair state...And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, that suck'd the honey of his music vows.Now see that noble and most sovereign reason... O, woe is me T' have seen what I have seen, see what I see!" (Hamlet. Act 3. Scene 1. lines 135-164)

In this scene Ophelia is agreeing with Gertrude; saying that she hopes that Hamlet's irratic behavior is the result of his love for her. Simultaniously, Ophelia is highly convinced that Hamlet is in love with her.

Convincement

Convincement Cont.

Ophelia spirals back down to being convinced- convinced that Hamlet's madness is not the reult of his love for her.

Distress Cont.

Ophelia:"My lord, I have remembrances of yours that I have longed long to re-deliver. I pray you, now receive them."

Hamlet: "No, not I. I never gave you the aught."

Ophelia:"My honour'd lord, you know right well you did! And with them words of so sweet breath compos'd as made the things more rich. Their perfume lost.Take these again; for to the noble mind. Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind. There, my lord."

Hamlet:"Ha, ha!...Are you honest?...Are you fair?"

Ophelia: "What means your lordship?"

Hamlet:"That if you be honest & fair, your honesty admit to no discourse of your beauty...I did love you once." (Hamlet. Act 3. Scene1. Lines 93-115)

Distress

Polonious: "What said he?"

Ophelia: "He took me by the wrist and held me hard; then goes he to the length of all his arm and, with his other hand thus o'er his brow, he falls to such perusal of my face as 'a would draw it. Long stay'd he so. At last, a little shaking of mine arm and thrice his head thus waving up and down, he rais'd a sigh so piteous and profound. As it did seem to shatter all his bulk and end his being. That done, he lets me go, and with his head over his shoulder turn'd he seem'd to find his way without his eyes, for out o' doors he went without their help and to the last bended their light on me.

Polonious: "Come, go with me...this is the very ecstacy of love...have you given him any words of late? (Hamlet. Act 2. Scene 1. Lines 88-106)

When confronting Hamlet, Ophelia was heavily convinced that Hamlet was in love with her. She is urgent to convince him as well, as she appears to argue with him.

Polonious: "How now, Ophelia, what's the matter?"

Ophelia: "O my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!"

Polonious: "With what, i' th' name of God?"

Ophelia: "My lord, as I was sewing in my closet Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd, no hat upon his head, his stockings foul'd, ungart'red, and down-gyved to his ankle, pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other, and with a look so piteous in purport as if he had been loosed out of hell to speak of horrors- he comes before me."

Polonious: "Mad for thy love?"

Ophelia: "My lord, I do not know, but truly I do fear it."

This is the moment that feuls Ophelia's love for Hamlet even more. She most likely percieved Hamlet's behavior as a way for him to rekindle the spark between them both. She is now even more convinced that Hamlet is madly in love with her.

At this point, Ophelia is clearly in distress and emotionally impacted by Hamlets irractic behaviour.

Distress

Contentment

Content

Polonious *hella long speach*: "blah blah blah blah blah blaaaahh"

Ophelia: "I shall obey, my lord."

(Hamlet. Act 1. Scene 3. Lines 115-136)

Ophelia: "No, my good lord; but, as you did command, I did repel his letters and denied his access to me."

Polonious: "That hath made him mad. I am sorry that with better heed and judgment I had not quoted him: I fear'd he did but trifle and meant to wreck thee; but, beshrew my jealousy! By heaven, it is as proper to our age to cast beyond ourselves in our opinions as it is common for the younger sort to lack discretion. Come, go we to the King. This must be known, which, being kept close, might move more grief to hide than hate to utter love." (Hamlet. Act 2. Scene 1. Lines 107-119)

Contentment

Polonious basically reiterates what Laertes has already told her- Hamlet is manipulating her and she should avoid him at all costs. Ophelia shows contentment with both her brother's and father's warnings. HOWEVER, during this time it was routine for women to obey a man's order regardless of how they truly felt inside. Ophelia may have promised to honor Polonious's wishes, but her feelings will eventually drive her insane.

Ophelia returns to contentment by honoring her father's orders to avoid Hamlet.

Obliviousness

Polonious: "Affection pooh! you speak like a green girl, unsifted in souch perilous circumstance. Do you believe in his tenders, as you call them?"

Ophelia: "I do not know, my lord, what I should think." (Hamlet. Act 1. Scene 3. Lines 101-103)

Obliviousness/Confusion

Act 1

Ophelia appears oblivious at this particular point. She does not know what to think of regarding her feelings for Hamlet.

Defensive

Defensiveness

To Laertes: "I shall th' effect of this good lesson keep

As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother,

Do not as some ungracious pastors do,

Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,

Whiles, like a puff'd and reckless libertine,

Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads

And recks not his own rede."

("Hamlet". Act I. Scene 3. Line 45)

Polonious: "...Think yourself a baby. That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly, or (not to crack the wind of the poor phrase) Tend'ring it thus you'll tender me a fool."

Ophelia:"My lord, he hath importun'd me with love

In honourable fashion."

Polonious: "Ay, fashion you may call it. Go to, go to."

Ophelia: "And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord,

With almost all the holy vows of heaven."

(Hamlet. Act 1. Scene 3. Lines 104-114)

Thank you!

Defensiveness

Ophelia returns to a defensive state; defending her love for Hamlet by arguing that he has shown her consistant love and affection in the holiest of ways.

Given that Laertes is totally ignorant to her feelings for Hamlet, she descretely defends her love for Hamlet by pointing out that Laertes isn't perfect himself & should atleast heed his own warnings.

Polonious: "I must tell you, you do not understand yourself so clearly as it behooves my daughter and your honor. What is between you? Give me up the truth."

Ophelia: "He hath, my lord, of late made

many tenders Of his affection to me."

(Hamlet. Act 1. Scene 3. Lines 95-99)

Polonious expresses his concern for how Ophelia is projecting the family's image. He feels that a woman should bring honor to the family. In defense, Ophelia breifly states that Hamlet is showing her affection in an attempt to reverse his concerns.

Act 5

Act 1

Act 2

Act 3

Act 4