Summary And Symbolism In Ophelia's '

341 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Hamlet and the theme of death

The skull of poor Yorick, Hamlet’s humorous acquaintance, represents the fragility and fleetingness of life, and well as the death that awaits all people. He shows that everyone will end up as simply a pile of forgotten bones, which certainly puts things into perspective. A second symbol is Hamlet’s signet ring, which represents his right to the Danish throne that was taken from him. Flowers and herbs are a third symbol that appear frequently, especially around Ophelia. Each plant has its own symbol, which Ophelia explains, saying, “There’s rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember. And there’s pansies; that’s for thought” (4.5.179-181). The flowers could represent her innocence and naivety, while her obsession with

Show More
Related

  • Jane Eyre vs House of Mirth Lily

    2029 Words  | 5 Pages

    word “art” which may imply something about the materialistic world that she tries to be a part of. Interestingly, and perhaps most symbolic, is the fact that the lily is the “flower of death”, an outcome that her whirlwind, uptight, unrealistic life inevitably led her to.

    Read More

  • Handmaid's Tale Women Quotes

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    Flowers can be seen to represent emotions that are felt when opressions on women are seen. Poisonous flowers represent the determination that these women use to find a better life in this society

    Read More

  • Men In Ophelia's Life

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    Culturally, women have been expected to be soft spoken, gentle, delicate flowers. They should not question a man's opinion or go against their will. Ophelia, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is an example of a young naive girl who faces the dangers that come from only following what others want, and not thinking for herself. The men in this play use her for their own benefit and she suffers the repercussions, which leads her to madness and “accidental” death.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Act 5 Scene 1 Analysis

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Hamlet begins discussion with the gravedigger, he is presented with a skull of someone he finds out is rather close and dear to him. It also brought Hamlet to reality with Ophelia’s death, as he resumes discussions with Yoricks skull, he jokingly says “Now get you to my lady’s chamber and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favor she must come. Make her laugh at that.” (170) revealing how one wastes so much time putting make up on their face, to mask over the inevitable aging process; and how ones fate lies within the very ground we stand on at this moment, no matter how great one is.

    Read More

  • Yorick's Skull In Hamlet

    766 Words  | 2 Pages

    When one thinks of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the first image that comes to mind is that of Hamlet gazing into the eyes of Yorick’s skull. This scene has become an icon of the play because of the message behind it. It is arguable that the graveyard scene embodies the essence of the entire play. As Hamlet metaphorically and literally stares death in the face, a pivotal moment occurs where he realizes the meaning of human mortality. Hamlet sees the temporary nature of the human body, the insignificance of rank, and the equality of all humans in death. In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the image of Yorick’s skull in the graveyard scene is so noteworthy because it acts as a reminder of the transience of human life.

    Read More

  • The Symbolism of Ophelia's Death

    1278 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is widely believed that “Living life without honor is a tragedy bigger than death itself” and this holds true for Hamlet’s Ophelia. Ophelia’s death symbolizes a life spent passively tolerating Hamlet’s manipulations and the restrictions imposed by those around her, while struggling to maintain the last shred of her dignity. Ophelia’s apathetic reaction to her drowning suggests that she never had control of her own life, as she was expected to comply with the expectations of others. Allowing the water to consume her without a fight alludes to Hamlet’s treatment of Ophelia as merely a device in his personal agenda. Her apparent suicide denotes a desire to take control of her life for once. Ophelia’s death is, arguably, an honorable one, characterized by her willingness to let go of her submissive, earth-bound self and leave the world no longer a victim.

    Read More

  • Female Role In Ophelia

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ophelia, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, represents a self-confident and aware female character. She analyzes the world around her and recognizes the multitude of male figures attempting to control her life. Her actions display not only this awareness, but also maturity in her non-confrontational discussions. Though she is demeaned by Laertes, Polonius, and Hamlet, Ophelia exhibits intelligence and independence and ultimately resorts to suicide in order to free herself from the power of the men around her.

    Read More

  • Garcin and Hamlet

    1451 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jean-Paul Sartre and William Shakespeare, while centuries and mindsets apart, both examined through drama the meaning of existence and the weight that man’s actions bear on his soul. In Sartre’s No Exit and Shakespeare’s Hamlet, their characters struggle with the mere concept of death and the mysteries that accompany it as they also struggle to accept choices and decisions made during life. Spirituality and the quest for life’s meaning conflict the protagonists of both works. Sartre and Shakespeare chose symbolic representation of spiritual ideals through props, specifically the bronze ornament resting on the mantelpiece of No Exit’s Hell, and the skull of Yorick, Prince Hamlet’s former court jester. While both catalysts for philosophical introspection, and employed by the authors in similar manners, the ornament and skull are contrasting representations of the uncertainty in death that looms over both plays.

    Read More

  • Death In Hamlet Analysis

    1263 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The very conveyances of his lands will scarcely lie in this box, and must th’ inheritor himself have no more, ha?” Hamlet’s realization in 5.1.88 is one of great weight and resulted in more deep thought on the concept of death. Throughout Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” the subject is deeply considered and consistent breakthroughs and new realizations are revealed through Hamlet’s character. The primary evolution of Hamlet’s understanding stands with the coping, dealing with the finality of death, conflicts with morality and revenge in its intimate relationship with death as it applies to Hamlet.

    Read More

  • Flowers Weeds Symbolism

    219 Words  | 1 Pages

    A: The flowers, weeds, and the oriole nest symbolizes death because they are lifeless and peaceful.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's First Soliloquy Analysis

    1245 Words  | 3 Pages

    'Tis an unweeded garden / That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature”(1.2.135-137). This metaphor used by Hamlet has a few interpretations that can relate to either Gertrude or the entire state of Denmark. “Tis an unweeded garden,”(1.2.135) relates to how the State of Denmark is like the Garden of Eden before it was corrupted. Once a state of purity, Denmark grew into a defiled corrupt nation through the death of King Hamlet and the incestrous marriage of Gertrude. Or on the other hand, Hamlet is speaking about his mother. That once she was like the Virgin Mary, sexually untouched and pure alike the Garden before it was breached. This portrayal shows how atrociously Hamlet views King Claudius. By saying that Gertrude was like the Virgin Mary and The Garden of Eden he insists that King Claudius is Satan or Satanic. This metaphor portrays King Claudius as a Satanic figure that breaches the Garden or his mother and corrupts her with his bed “stewed in

    Read More

  • Saeng Homeland

    275 Words  | 1 Pages

    It represents Saeng's homeland because when she saw the flower it had reminded her of the same flowers that were there and brought back memories of when she once had lived at Laos. On paragraph 5 it states “The familiar fragrance filled her lungs and Saeng could almost feel the light strands of her grandmother’s long gray hair, freshly washed, as she combed it out with the fine- toothed buffalo-horn comb,” which shows a moment that Saeng had remembered of her and her grandmother. But these memories bring pain to Saeng as she recollects memories of the land that she had left. As you could read in paragraph 7, “ A wave of loss so deep and strong that it stung Saeng’s eyes now swept over her. A blink, a channel switch, a boat ride in the night, and it was all gone. Irretrievably, irrevocably gone.” She feels upset at the thought that the great memories that she had can’t be retrieved or changed. The hibiscus plant represents perseverance for Saeng’s mother. On paragraph 25 Saeng’s mother says “ Its flowers aren’t pretty, but it’s strong enough to make it through the cold months here, this winter hibiscus.That’s what matters,” which would show that even though the winter is rough, the plant is able to grow.

    Read More

  • Use of Juxtaposition In Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1477 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...e tension from Ophelia’s death and the ever-increasing tension and complexity of the plot. It is also an important milestone for Hamlet as he comes in terms with the fact that death is the ultimate equalizer and later in the scene Hamlet imagines how that even “Alexander the great‘s body would of turned into dust, which could have been used to make loam, and that loam could have been used to plug a beer-barrel. This readies Hamlet to die in the final scene, knowing the death is universal, equalizing and more importantly, that everyone dies.

    Read More

  • Hamlet and Othello: Ophelia and Desdemona

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ophelia and Desdemona play the role of the "innocent lady" in Shakespeare's Hamlet and Othello. The roles of these characters provide a sense of completeness, faithfulness, and obedience to the leading male figures. In both plays, these innocent ladies end up dying. These deaths are both due to a false rejection of love. Othello kills Desdemona because he believes her love is false, and Ophelia dies ultimately because she reads Hamlet's mask of madness as rejection. These deaths exemplify the pattern of harmony turning to chaos in both of these plays, and provide proof of the decay that is spreading to everyone in Venice and Denmark.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Hamlet Almereyda

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... to show how Hamlet’s mother began to have relations with Claudius after King Hamlet died. Once Claudius realizes that this is about him he stand up and asks for light.

    Read More

More about Summary And Symbolism In Ophelia's '

Open Document