what are the circumstances of ophelia's death?

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. 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. I do pity her as a character because now she is truly on her own and I feel Hamlet and her family is partially to blame. For example, the monocot leaves from the sedge plant in the bottom left foreground. I still dont know if I see Ophelias death as a suicide because of the fact that her clothes led to her death and all, but with all of the circumstances around her, I think that she definitely did not fight her death for a purpose. 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. 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. Lush foliage surrounds the almost drowned figure of Ophelia. 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 loved your analysis on Ophelia and your text examples on how she viewed each horrific death of her loved ones. Its upsetting to see anyone go through all of these unfortunate circumstances because it realistically can happen to anybody. She also stated that while Ophelia was drowning, she seemed oblivious to her plight. Furthermore, if Ophelias death was, indeed, a subliminal expression of an unconscious desire to die, it is essential to discuss the reason for this unconscious desire; whether or not it was 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. This implies that she has taken her own life. SO many questions that are generated by your post. SO many questions that are generated by your post. Ophelia, obedient, weak-willed, and no feminist role model, deserves the most pity of any character in the play. In Hamlet, why does Ophelia return the letter and presents Hamlet gave her. Shes being torn between two very influential men in her life. Its quite the strain to put on anyones mental state. Ophelia hasnt any direct control over the influential characters in her life. She modeled for Millais in a bathtub, floating in the water and wearing a thin dress. How does Ophelia come to believe that Hamlet is mad?He enters her room as she is sewing; his clothes are dishevelled, and his look is piteous. She knows that refusing to marry Hamlet will make him go insane.Polonius reads a letter to Claudius and Gertrude, and Ophelia overhears it. In the next scene, the priest who performs the funeral ritual implies that she may have taken her own life. More than likely, she fell into the brook or was swept downstream by the current. In the foreground, in the bottom left corner, is a plant with vertical strips of leaves (referred to as monocot leaves), possibly the greater pond sedge, and just in front of it in the near foreground are forget-me-not flowers. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. At the point in the play that you referenced in your question Ophelia, is of course, drowned. I loved your analysis on Ophelia and your text examples on how she viewed each horrific death of her loved ones. Furthermore, the background of the composition acts almost as a backdrop of fauna and flora, which brings Ophelias figure closer into our space, also making the picture space shallower. Ophelia (18511852), painted by John Everett Millais, was based on the character from William Shakespeares famous play Hamlet (c. 15991601). With the loss of her father, brother, and her lover all extremely close together is enough to make anyone go mad I suppose. Although she is tragic, she is also used at will with the men around her. Subsection. I really liked the points you made about Ophelia and her madness. I wonder which had more an effect? The host of Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan says the circumstances surrounding the death of Georgia mother Debbie Collier have left him befuddled, following the Georgia Bureau of Investigations determination that the death was a suicide. Notice the broken tip of one of the leaves and the overall smoothness, upright firmness, yet soft flexibility. I never picked up on those lines of her song in relation to Hamlet breaking his promise of marrying her. Ophelia sings more songs and hands out flowers, citing their Ophelia by In Act 4 Scene 7, Queen Gertrude reports that Ophelia had climbed into a willow tree There is a willow grows aslant the brook , and that the branch had broken and dropped Ophelia into the brook, where she drowned. Why didn't Hamlet kill Claudius when he had the chance at the end of act 3, scene 3? Instead, she chanted snatches of old lauds [hymns], / As one incapable of her own distress (4.7.18283). WebOphelia obeys, but her action sends Hamlet into a fit of misogynistic rage. 190). SO many questions that are generated by your post. In Act Four she spirals into madness and dies under ambiguous circumstances. At such an early age, her life was taken. 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. One theory is that she deliberately drowned herself in the river out of 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). Ophelias death was triggered by her mental breakdown due to the loss of her father. It must also be difficult for her to reconcile the fact that her lover murdered her father, and in doing so took away all present support systems from her. WebOphelia was caught up in the political and emotional intrigue and died in mysterious circumstances. Why is ophelia's funeral so brief and unceremonious? Her death could be either interpreted as an accident or suicide. Hi Sam, She is used as a ploy by her father to test Hamlets maddness. Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, Pulled the poor wretch from her melodious lay, myShakespeare | Hamlet 4.7 Gertrudes Description of Ophelia's Death. CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione said police officers showed tremendous restraint before fatally shooting an armed man late Tuesday night. All the major protagonists and antagonists in the play die in the end. In the midst of her inner turmoil, her depression worsens as she learns that Ophelia sucked the honey of his music vows and returned Hamlets affection. Details of Ophelia (1851-1852) by John Everett Millais; John Everett Millais, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Her clothes spread wide. 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. This behavior is consistent with Ophelias having gone to the brook intending to kill herself. Little by little, the revelations come with the aid of his fathers ghost. This line directly references an older man and because of this detail, Poloniuss death has obviously taken its toll on Ophelias psyche, causing her to spout such wild and woeful songs. Both her father and her brother believe that Hamlet is using her to achieve his own personal goals. 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 is almost as though the natural order has been disturbed by the death of King Hamlet and Ofelia is a casualty in the war to get the state of Denmark to not be quite so rotten. WebThe constant pressure from her father, Polonius, and Claudius to spy on Hamlet is a major factor in the increasing madness of Ophelia. Both the loss of her beloved father and Hamlet 's rejection of her horatio queen gertrude marcellus a messenger. Her madness stems from the death of her father but carries over once shes lost Hamlet. WebFor Gertrude is awkwardly unimaginative, as has been seen before. Pin 1. 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. Self-portrait (1881) by John Everett Millais;John Everett Millais, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. The second is Hamlet himself, who promised much to Ophelia, and whom Ophelia has probably has sex with. But sometimes that just don't matter. WebGertrude speech makes Ophelias death not only more beautiful and tragic to the characters listening but also, to us the audience. Sam, Hamlet has fallen in love with Ophelia after the death of his father. When Ophelia's death is first relayed to the audience by Queen Gertrude, she talks about Ophelia drowning accidentally, after a branch from the willow tree breaks off, causing Ophelia to fall into the waters. Gertrude reports that she fell into the brook and that her clothes became heavy with water and pulled her under. Both the loss of her beloved father and Ophelia's death is one of the great Shakespearean mysteries that is never fully explained in Her clothes spread wide, And mermaid-like awhile they bore her up, Which time she chanted snatches of old lauds, As one incapable of her own distress However, Ophelia's innate weakness probably assured that she would not have had the courage to kill herself. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/ SARAH: Ophelia made a wreath of flowers and attempted to hang it on the branches of the willow. In the midst of readings performances and one particular question has remained open and unresolved: was Ophelia's death an accident or a suicide? WebWhen reporting Ophelias death, Gertrude states that there is a willow grows askant the brook (4.7. what are She also disclose s that this pain and suffering had been the prime cause of her tragic end and took her to the death bed. I like the way that you wrote about Ophelia singing as her madness. Then, Ophelia's funeral procession takes place, and Hamlet and Ophelia's brother Laertes confront each other. 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. 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. I definitely feel that before Polonius dies she is effected by how Hamlet treats her, which the argument I made in my post. Hamlet tries to kill Claudius three times. 25 minutes ago. Ophelia's death is an unplayed scene; it does not appear on stage. There are several possible interpretations of the circumstances surrounding Ophelia's death. Ophelias songs show her slipping into further madness with a lot of bizarre sexually-laced lyrics and while reading this portion of the play I just felt bad for her. It depicts the scene of Ophelias death described by Queen Gertrude in Act 4, Scene 7. Ophelias subservience is taken to an entirely new level through the event of her death. why do some mollusks have shells March 24, 2022. Note the use of horizontal lines in the painting Ophelia (1851-1852) by John Everett Millais;John Everett Millais, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cambridge Companions to Literature ser. In Act IV, Scene 7, Gertrude enters with news that Ophelia has drowned in the stream as she tried to hang flower garlands on the willow branches. Jessica Tovey. Soon after, Hamlet mistakenly kills Polonius. She has made a number of comments that seem to have a hidden truth in them and has presented Leartes and the king and queen with flowers (either real or imaginary) that also have significant symbolic meaning. The tragedy follows the story of Prince Hamlet as he undergoes states of insanity, depression, and eventual death. She has no way to prevent the death of her father, and no way to reason with the loss of Hamlets affection. The views and opinions expressed by the authors and other contributors to this blog are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of SUNY New Paltz or any employee thereof. The Ophelia painting depicts organic shapes and forms that are found in nature versus geometric shapes and forms. Even though, in the beginning, Hamlet is only feigning madness, he is certainly troubled (to say the least) at the end of the play. Hamlet ridiculed her and her father, Im assuming a person closest to her as there is no mention of a mother, dies unexpectingly.

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