His intention is to make himself appear to be a great father, but Ophelia's dependency on Polonius is what eventually causes her to go mad and commit suicide after his death. Horatio tries to break the ghosts momentary spell over Hamlet by stating, What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord? How would you compare the humor between the Osric scene and the gravediggers' scene? First, the relationship between Laertes and Polonius parallels that between Hamlet and his dead father; in this respect, Laertes serves as a foil for Hamlet. You do bring up a very good point where Ophelia should make her own decisions, however, Polonius should still look after her from time to time to keep her well protected. Polonius seems to get so wrapped up in the adventure of what is going on and the game of manipulation that when he ends up dead, it is as shocking to him as the viewer (Keahmann). In the beginning of the play, Laertes warns Ophelia about Hamlet, claiming he does not actually love Ophelia. They discuss Hamlet's unhappiness about recent affairs in Denmark. He is not played as the villain and his death actually inspires a sense of loss in the movie that was simply a momentary plot structure in the play. It is obvious that Hamlet is already well aware that Polonius is watching after he states Let the doors be shut upon him, the he may play the fool nowhere but ins own house.(3.1.132-133) Ophelia could have easily told Hamlet the truth, but due to her undying love for her father chooses to deceive Hamlet. Claudius said O, this is the poison of deep grief; Tender yourself more dearly, Or not to the crack of the wind of the poor phase, running it thus, youll tender me a fool. Laertes, Ophelia's brother, counsels her to avoid Hamlet's advances. That was important, to just get that race dynamic in there. They did sleep together, and then Hamlet told Ophelia that she needed to go to a nunnery and that he would never marry a girl who slept around. How people react to such news will determine whether or not Laertes really has been a naughty boy. He tells her that "God has given [her] one face, and [she] make [herself] another" (III.i.144-145). William Shakespeare Study Guide No Fear Translation Mastery Quizzes Flashcards Infographic PLUS Graphic Novel PLUS Polonius Character Analysis Polonius is a proud and concerned father. Caught between having her emotions manipulated by Hamlet, and being taken advantage of by the King and Polonious for her reliable tendencies, she eventually undergoes insanity. He even plans out the lie this servant should tell in order to fool Laertes. From The Riddles of Hamlet by Simon Augustine Blackmore. Hamlets misogyny is not the result sexual repression , but rather his environment and the interactions with women. What is the purpose of Polonius in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet? Ophelia was the daughter of polonius, the love interest of hamlet who was brutally torn up mentally throughout the novel. The change in emotional dynamics leaves the character of Ophelia to be portrayed in a manner that detracts., Coupled with the idea that Hamlet has gone mad as well and his and Laertes departure from Denmark, Ophelia has lost all males figures in her life, and thus; her sanity. Also, after Hamlet telling Ophelia that she needs to go to a nunnery, Ophelia is a little bit discouraged. Even though Polonius shows scornful behaviour towards, Ophelia attempts to defend her relationship though with extreme politeness and respect for her father. * All Partners were chosen among 50+ writing services by our Customer Satisfaction Team, The Gurupad vs. Heerabai85, and in Shyama, Riskhas been conceptualized as the possibility. Polonius' relationship with Hamlet is weak and untrusted because of the actions Hamlet has chose towards his daughter, Ophelia. Although Ophelia is an adult, and can handle situations on her own, he still considers his daughter a young person that knows nothing about love. He tries to intervene between his daughter's relationships with Hamlet. He does not care about her emotions, as he shows no comfort after heartbreaking confrontation with Hamlet. The ghost claimed to be Hamlets father and even revealed he had been murdered by his own brother, who had taken the crown from Hamlets father. Rather than Polonius offering support towards her daughter, he uses the situation as an attempt to show his worth to the King. Polonius is very . People make too much of simple advice. I do beseech you, give him leave to go. (Act 1 Scene 2) Laertes is his son, so why does he need the King to know that he let him travel to France. The subplot also serves as a dramatic foil for Hamlet's behavior, proving that not all members of Elsinore's royal court are mad or evil. Ophelias relationship with Hamlet can be one of the causes to her madness. Latest answer posted December 19, 2017 at 9:21:46 AM, What is the meaning of the following quote? Laertes tenacity to be revengd/ Most thoroughly(IV,5,134-135)for his father with promises of damnation,(IV,5,131) demonstrates his lack of self-control. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Pooh, you speak like an immature girl." Polonius in Shakespeare's Hamlet: A Conspirator or a Victim Authors: Sameer Al-Shraah Al al-Bayt University Abstract Critical discourse on Shakespeare's Hamlet often discusses Polonius as a. As a female in the Shakespearean period she is expected to be under the control of the men all of her life as a daughter, a sister, a wife or a mother. I loved you not. (3.1.117-119) Hamlet speaking like this to Ophelia caused her to feel even more confused, and wounded by the complete harshness of his words. He is so caught up in revenge and hatred that he doesn 't give her or their relationship a second thought., The love story of Hamlet and Ophelia was terribly devastating. Conclusively, it was his inability to deny his fathers request that lead Hamlet down a long and arduous road to his death.In conclusion, the difficulty caused by the loss of a father proves to be too much for Ophelia, Laertes and Hamlet to overcome. In the story, it doesn't give us much further detail about why he wouldn't want his daughter to interact with him. She is the young daughter of Polonius, the sister of Laertes, and Hamlet's love interest. This will make Ophelia as a more stronger. Such behavior often proves justified by the plays audience due to its convincing nature despite Hamlets predisposition towards insanity. Last Updated On: March 1, 2022 The primary characters in Hamlet can be divided into two major groups: Hamlet's family and friends Ophelia's family The only outlier is Fortinbras, and his tie to the story is his desire to avenge his own father, who Hamlet's father killed in battle. Polonius comments that while Hamlet is clearly mad, his replies are often "pregnant" with meaning (II.ii.206). The nobles of Elsinor also notice the love he shows and they begin to realize the possibility that Hamlet love for Ophelia would benefit them all. Sort of like how in the play of Hamlet, Hamlet acts like he does not really love Ophelia. Daddys Little Girl: The Traditional Relationship Between Ophelia and Polonius When he mentions Hamlet, it is only for her to stay away from him. A. Hamlet humiliates her verbally. He presents to the king and queen a letter that Prince Hamlet has written to Ophelia. The only reason that Hamlet is treating Ophelia this way is because of the act he is putting on in order to fulfill his revenge. When Polonius dies, she becomes very forlorn and becomes a catalyst to madness (Whats the Relationship, Yahoo!, She is a state of idealism, pureness and beauty, in an atmosphere of conflict and intrigue. An excellent point you had made that I had not realized, was the foreshadowing themes that are present. C. Death of father. Hamlet instead rejected her after they slept together, because she's not wife material if she slept with him. What they do not expect, however, is to encounter a subplot that is so involved that the removal of it would cause the storyline to change drastically. For Ophelia, she has no other choice but to obey her father's requests. She is the young daughter of Polonius, the sister of Laertes, and Hamlet's love interest. Completely focused on revenge, Laertes is unable to slow down and analyse the situation, which prevents him from originally seeing that the kings to blame. What Polonius had before is now gone, as Claudius is the new King. Even though her love for Hamlet was strong, she obeyed her father when he told her not to meet Hamlet or accept any letters from him. We Will Write a Custom Essay about Parental Relationships in Hamlet Essay. Polonius cannot rationalize that spying on Hamlet is less important than his daughter's mental stability. (I,3,104) Ophelia allows herself to be controlled, even rebuffing her love for Hamlet simply because Polonius suggested that she not give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet, (I,4,135) which illustrates the importance Ophelia places on her familial obligations.The structure and guidance that Polonius provides for Ophelia, leads her to affirm that she shall obey him. However, Ophelia is torn between her duty to her father and the love she feels for Hamlet. Laertes reason has truly been lost to his righteous anger and new found purpose, revenge. Passively becoming part of a scheme designed, as far as she can tell, to help Hamlet recover wits, Ophelia instead loses her own, (20). When Polonius dies, she becomes very forlorn and becomes a catalyst to madness (Whats the Relationship, Yahoo!, She is a state of idealism, pureness and beauty, in an atmosphere of conflict and intrigue. For example, in act 1. scene3. Ophelia herself is willing to sacrifice her love for Prince Hamlet to sustain her fathers patriarchal position above her affairs. This can be seen through his actions toward her before he found out about his fathers death being a murder, pretending to be crazy simply to prove to the king and Polonius, and by his actions after Ophelia 's death. For the satirical rogue says here that old men have gray Show more. This can be displayed when Hamlet speaks to Ophelia. Polonius' lack of trust of his children is likely driven by his own propensity to lie. When Polonius discovers Hamlet's affair with Ophelia, he encourages her to not go near him and to ignore his letters that she receives from him. Since their fathers were once been a sign of hope for Ophelia, Laertes and Hamlet, the allegiance that the characters have to their fathers prevents them from moving on after the loss, which ultimately leads to their deaths. She was talking about how hamlet promised hed marry her after they slept together, and how she entered a virgin but left with her virginity lost. It was important to me to have Hamlet's side of the family be Black and Polonius's side of the family be white or mixed race. (Hamlet has just gotten rid of Polonius' body. He gives his son a lot of advice; he clearly cares a lot about his son and trusts him to go to France by himself. Ophelia tells her father that Laertes has spoken to her of Hamlet, and Polonius responds that he has been informed of the time she spends. For example, in act 1. scene3. The subplot involving Polonius, Ophelia, and Laertes is crucial to the central plot in several ways. Polonius does in fact set a nature of being too controlling of his daughter. Accessed 24 June 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Thank you as well for taking the time to comment on my blog! Hamlets relationships differed between Gertrude and Ophelia, but both had the same goal of Hamlet having someone to love and care about him. Hamlet is rejected and dismissed by both women. When Hamlet could no longer see Ophelia he began to get mad a frustrated, to add on also that he was going crazy over his own father's death. Polonius manipulation, Hamlets control and Ophelias own thoughts and actions demonstrate her descent, and the aftermath. It seems as if he respects Hamlet, but only because he is Prince. A connection that could be made between Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship is to Romeo and Juliet. Like Hamlet with his feigned madness (and his very real mental and emotional affliction, occasioned by his father's death - which . In the first act, Ophelia confesses her love towards Hamlet but Polonius' reaction to Ophelia is, 'Affection! His words sufficed to rouse the old courtier's prying instinct. She has now gone mad, singings nonsense songs and giving people flowers that she has picked from the garden. Ophelia tries to be "obedient". When Ophelia tells Polonius, her father, what she and Laertes were talking about, Polonius reiterates exactly what Laertes said and forbids her from seeing Hamlet, saying later that the prince is out of [her] star (II.2.150). Yet, Gertrude later, at Ophelias funeral, says that she had hoped that Hamlet and Ophelia would marry, which shows that whether Hamlet, Ophelia, and her family knew it or not, Ophelia would have been approved by the King and Queen for Hamlet and was not considered beneath him, at least not by the Queen (V.1.255). Polonius forces Ophelia to depend on him. B. Ophelia loses her friend and confidant in her brothers absence. In act 2, scene 2, what use does Hamlet plan to make of the players? Moreover, Polonius [relegates], As she often strived to obey what her father asked of her, she was frequently placed in uncomfortable situations. In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Hamlet has a unique relationship with Ophelia. In which scene does Polonius serve as a foil to Hamlet,giving Hamlet an opportunity to demonstrate both his wit and his despair? Polonius' thoughts on Hamlet's feelings towards Ophelia are not meant from his heart. She has four roles in her life: as a daughter of Polonius, a sister of Laertes, a lover of Hamlet, Ophelia herself. Ophelia unintentionally becomes a victim of Hamlets sudden attack and reaps the outcome. Or to the dreadful summit of the cliffAnd there assume some horrible form/ Which might deprive your sovereignty of, The ghost comes in when Hamlet argues with his mother. Although, in order to be successful in his plan to kill King Claudius he must mask his true mission from Ophelia, since she has ties to Polonius. He's a patriarch, a misogynist, an authoritarian who dominates Ophelia's will and decimates her verve for life. Her respect for and obedience to her father were more important, Hamlet denying his love for Ophelia commences her emotional instability. 1 / 30 Polonius asks Reynaldo to follow Laertes to France and observe his behavior in act 2, scene 1 of Hamlet. Polonius can be considered to be conniving, obsequious and superficial. Ophelia is unable to come to terms with her situation and is consumed by her lunacy. In Hamlet a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, the death of a character is an occurring event. Furthermore, the King doesnt have the time to be controlling his child. Yes. Though Ophelia did as she was asked by keeping her distance from Hamlet, the disregard of their romantic history was an emotional blow. The advice that Polonius and his children share amongst each other reveal the show more content iii. The theme that a son must avenge his fathers death joins the two stories. A: Polonius is a person Claudius completely trust, and he is also the only one that knows about how King Hamlet actually died. What's the meaning of this quote from Hamlet: "We're oft to blame and this is just too much proved that with devotion's visage and pious action we do sugar o'er the Devil himself"? However, with the death of Polonius, Laertes, just as Ophelia, begins to experience the loss of structure that Polonius once provided.As a result of Laertes loyalty and respect for Polonius, the solitude caused by the loss is quickly turned to anger:that drop of blood thats calm proclaims me bastard, (IV,5,115). You jig and amble, and your lips, you nickname Gods creatures and make your wantonness your ignorance. Secondly, Shakespeare uses the ghost to influence the theme of revenge and madness that develops in the play by using the ghost as a driving force for Hamlet. Words without thoughts never to heaven go. His instructions to Reynaldo about spying on his son . Devoted to murdering Claudius, Hamlet traps himself in one of his own plans. Laertes tried to stay out of Ophelia 's love life for the most part, but Polonius had no problem inserting himself into his daughters life. Feels for Hamlet not care about her emotions, as Claudius is the young daughter Polonius! 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