Suicide And Suicide In Hamlet

Ali Wiethe

Honors English III

Mrs. Briggs

15 January 2014

Title

The act of suicide is a common issue some may contemplate when faced with the hardships and difficulties of life. These vicious thoughts could be brought on by any troubles such as heartbreak, depression, or in Hamlet and Ophelia’s case, the death of a loved one. The result of one’s actions depends how one copes with the situation they’re presented with. Although, the act of suicide ultimately lies in the hands of the troubled person, it is not considered to be a suitable way out. Hamlet considers suicide on more than one occasion while as Ophelia actually commits the action of suicide. In his heart-wrenching tragedy, Hamlet, William Shakespeare illustrates suicide as an insufficient compromise for distraught hearts through the characters of Ophelia and Hamlet.

Typically, suicide is represented as a way out for those who cannot bear their own lives. Shakespeare shows this trait through Ophelia because she does nothing to try and save herself (Smith). When the death of Polonius occurs, Ophelia uses it as the final strike – she can no longer bear anything else. Her emotional security dies with her father and she cannot trust in her own perceptions. In addition to her emotional dissentions, Ophelia also suffers with the loss of her father, rejection of Hamlet, and deprivation of knowledge (Smith). All of this added up causes Ophelia major struggles which later result in madness and suicide. After Polonius died, Ophelia acknowledges the fact that she has to face the world alone and she utters “No, no he is dead/ Go to thy deathbed (4.5.192-193).” This provides the primary motivation for Ophelia’s suicide and the extreme thinking that proceeded it. Ophelia believes that ...

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... he lists this as a reason not to take his life. He refuses to be considered a coward and take the easy way out.

Hamlet and Ophelia both found themselves in situations they were prepared for. Since both of them are royal and ranked highly in their social position, they had to deal with problems most people do not have to worry about on a day to day basis. Both of these characters have very similar reactions to their father’s death. When each of them finds out their father died, and in Hamlet’s case that his uncle killed him, the news drives them both crazy. Although, the difference between Ophelia and Hamlet is how these two characters deal with their madness. As said before, Hamlet’s madness drove him to seek revenge on anyone that tried to trick him. His madness led him to the accidental killing of Ophelia’s father because he is obsessive over seeking revenge.