Essay on Company Report2

My reaction to this scene is that I feel very shocked, uncomfortable, and confused. I have always thought Ophelia to be the most pure and innocent character in the play. However, this scene depicts Ophelia as losing her mind and the sanity she used to have. This makes Ophelia a dynamic character. Ophelia’s dialogue does not make sense to the reader, which develops a tone of chaos and corruption. Ophelia communicates through singing random songs: “ ‘They bore him barefaced on the bier, / (Hey non nonny, nonny, hey nonny,) / And in his grave rained many a tear…” (IV, V, 188-190). Ophelia’s singing further develops her as having lost her wits. Shakespeare chooses to have Ophelia lapse into singing because it draws the reader’s attention to her madness, and is affective in making the reader feel shocked and confused. This is the first scene that has made me question Ophelia’s sanity, so it is very shocking to read. Ophelia’s words do not make sense to the reader, which makes the reader feel puzzled and unsure. Ophelia’s illogical, seemingly mad dialogue is caused by the trauma she is experiencing from her father’s recent death. Before her father was murdered, Ophelia was pure and innocent and sheltered. When her father died, Ophelia’s sheltered, innocent world shattered, which is why I think Ophelia’s reaction is so strong. Ophelia’s grief for her father’s death has made her mad. Ophelia’s singing further illustrates her madness: “How should I your true love know / From another one? / By his cockle hat and staff / And his sandal shoon” (IV, V, 28-31). Additionally, Ophelia communicates through giving “flowers”: “There’s fennel for you, and columbines. / There’s rue for you, and here’s some for me…” (IV, V, 199-201). Ophelia’s madness has caused her to communicate through song and symbols. The biggest obstacle that stands in Ophelia’s way is herself. She is a victim of her own madness, and that is what I believe destroys her in the end. While Polonius’s death is what initially causes her to lose her mind, in the end, Ophelia’s own madness and subjective matrix is her biggest obstacle. Another obstacle standing in Ophelia’s way is the corruption of the characters in the kingdom. Ophelia is deeply disturbed by their behavior and morals. To express her true feelings regarding their corruption, she speaks her truth with flowers, rather than directly stating her beliefs. She hands Laertes a “flower” (whether imaginary or material) and says, “….There’s a daisy. I would / give you some violets, but they withered all when / my father died. They say he made a good end” (IV, V, 207-209). The distinctive elements in Ophelia’s dialogue are that she sings in songs and riddles, and hands out flowers. Ophelia speaks the truth through her madness. For example, Ophelia sings: “They bore him barefaced on the bier, / (Hey non nonny, nonny, hey nonny,) / And in his grave rained many a tear” (IV, V, 188-190). In this scene, Ophelia is thinking about her father’s death and the corruption in the kingdom. For example, she sings: “He is dead and gone, lady, / He is dead and gone” (IV, V, 34, 35). Ophelia is referencing to her father being “dead and gone” after Hamlet accidentally stabbed him. Furthermore, Ophelia’s most important line is “I would / give you some violets, but they withered all when / my father died” (IV, V, 208, 209). The violets symbolize faithfulness. This line means that her father’s death has caused her to lose all hope. This foreshadows Ophelia’s later death. When he faith died, so did she. Laertes’ anger regarding his father’s death is what motivates him to say the things he does in this scene. Laertes is angry that his father has been murdered, and wants revenge. In hysteric rage, Laertes demands: “How came he dead? I’ll not be juggled with. / To hell, allegiance! Vows, to the blackest devil… / I dare damnation” (IV, V, 148, 149, 151). Laertes is shouting (shown through the external structure of

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