How Does Hamlet A Matter Of Love

The Matter of Love: or Lack Thereof Love is often described as the light at the end of a dark tunnel or a roller coaster of emotions that never seems to halt. Many cliches, metaphors, and poems profess love in a way that makes the existence of this feeling desirable to the lonely. The ways in which love cunningly creeps into one’s life can be a welcome invader, but the question of the authenticity of love, or lack thereof, must be answered. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the affection that is supposedly shared between the innocent and naive Ophelia and the philosophical, calculating Hamlet seems to raise the question of whether or not their love has true substance. For this very reason, the reservation of opinion is placed on the play, and ultimately, on the young couple.

Hamlet’s love for Ophelia appears to be, as Laertes says, “A fashion and a toy in blood forward not permanent, sweet not lasting” (I.iii.7). Though his actions throughout the play are questionable, his letters of affection sent to Ophelia shed a new light on his standpoint of love. Polonius and Ophelia discuss the private letters sent to her, and when speaking to her father Ophelia says, “He hath of late made many tenders of his affections to me” (I.iii.108-109), “Hath importuned me with love in honorable fashion” (I.iii.119-120) and; “Hath given countenance to his speech with almost all the holy vows of heaven” (I.iii.123-124). These letters that Hamlet wrote to Ophelia alone is the validation of the fact that Hamlet was at one time sincerely in love with her. Although unquestionably submissive to her father and brother, Ophelia too, had the same tender feelings of endearment for