Ophelia's Final Speech Analysis

Before her death Ophelia gives a final speech signifying her defeat and “In her final speech, where she hands out flowers to the people in the court, Ophelia shows that she finally understands the people around her… this scene shows that Ophelia is too aware to be truly mad” (Maki 8). Each flower she hands out is comparable to the person she is handing it to. A justification of one of the flowers she hands out is “Th’ expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mould of form, Th’ observed of all observers, quite, quite down!” (Shakespeare Act 3 Scene 1 Lines 153-155) .“I would give you some violets, but they withered away when my father died. They say he made good end” (Shakespeare Act 4 Scene 5 Lines 182-184). “And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That sucked the honey of his music vows, Now see that noble and most sovereign reason” (Shakespeare Act 3 Scene 1 Lines 155-158).

“Ophelia reveals a deeper understanding of world issues than an aristocratic virgin should ever admit, rejecting the [essential] female codes her father dictated to her and blurring the demarcations between innocence and subversion” (Maki 7). “Gertrude’s witnessing of Ophelia’s death may show that she understands what Ophelia has gone through and knows the realities of their patriarchal society… she knows that there is no other escape; she is free in madness, but still has no autonomy or power” (Maki