Madness: Hamlet vs. Ophelia
Ophelia said, “And he’s made the holiest vows to me, to back up what he says” (Shakespeare and Crowther 2003). This shows that she was wrapped within the embrace of love, defends what she and Hamlet shares against her father. A whim - only an illusion – is what it is, yet she still insists on fighting for love, the same adoration that dragged them down to disgrace. In the novel, Hamlet, Shakespeare shows the readers how Hamlet and Ophelia’s madness differs from one another. There are several reasons why Hamlet’s madness is feigned, Ophelia’s madness is real, and Hamlet’s madness affects Ophelia’s madness.
First of all, Hamlet’s madness is feigned in numerous aspects. For example, in the beginning of the play Act 1, Scene 5 of the play, Hamlet and King Hamlet, his father who is the ghost, had a conversation about Claudius being the cause of his death. Hamlet then warned his friends that he will pretend to be a madman because he did not believe the ghost and wants to find out if it really is the…show more content… In the beginning f the play, Hamlet and Ophelia loves each other unconditionally until Ophelia’s father tells her to end the relationship which drove Hamlet into the clutches of madness. In Act 3, Scene 1, Hamlet told Ophelia to go to a nunnery after denying his love for her (Shakespeare and Crowther 2003). Ophelia began realize that she has been deceived and that Hamlet never really loved her when she says, “And I, of ladies most dejected and wretched, that sucked the honey of his music vows” (Shakespeare and Crowther 2003). Finally, in Act 4, Scene 5, Ophelia began singing about what she truly feels. For example, Ophelia sang, “How can you tell the difference between your true love and some other?” (Shakespeare and Crowther 2003). This shows that Ophelia is questioning Hamlet’s love for her when all she did was love him to death until his father and brother told her to disregard
