Ophelia's Deception In Hamlet

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These factors seem to be the root of the repressed resentment and sexual jealousy that lurk in Hamlet’s subconscious. The anger and resent in Hamlet worsens whenever Hamlet’s father appears as a ghost and tells him the truth of his mother's adulterous behavior along with the cause of his death; murder by Claudius. Hamlet seeks revenge but before vowing to avenge his father's death, he comments on the wrong doings his mother committed. Gertrude’s lack of judgment and morals cause the greatest confusion in Hamlet. Her actions negatively influence Hamlet’s judgment for what is right and what is wrong. Hamlet decides to pretend to be insane in order to plot against the King, but in reality, he really goes mad. This madness amplifies his anger towards …show more content…

This provides insight into the causes of the way he treats Ophelia. In Hamlet's eyes, Ophelia did not give him the love and respect he deserved. Hamlet and Ophelia seemed to have truly loved each other but early in the play, she is told by her father to break off all contact with him. This comes as a shock to Hamlet and understandably upsets him. This can be related back to the same feelings of abandonment and dishonesty he felt with his mother. Hamlet begins to get physically aggressive and toys with Ophelia's heart, harshly telling her to go to a nunnery. Hamlet carelessly shouts rude statements to Ophelia at his play; "It would cost you a groaning to take off mine edge." (3.2.255) Hamlet then chooses to go to the lengths to make Ophelia believe that he never had love for her: "You should not have believed me, / for virtue cannot / so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of / it. I lov’d you not" (3.1.117-119). For Hamlet, it is difficult to see that she is just following her father’s orders; he is quick to jump to conclusions and expects the worse. “The intensity of Hamlets repulsion against women in general, and Ophelia in particular, is a measure of the powerful repression to which his sexual feelings are being subjected” (Jones, 1199). Ophelia and Hamlets relationship would not last not only because of his sexual repression but his developing

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