How Does Ophelia Change Throughout The Play

Act 1: Ophelia has been plotting for the throne for a long time. Her father, Polonius is the king’s trusted advisor and her brother Laertes is a soldier. Ophelia’s mother died when she was very young. Polonius insists she is the spitting image of her mother. Laertes is often away and only receives update letters from his father in which he praises Ophelia. Ophelia loves her father dearly but she is most focused on becoming queen.

She is an incredible manipulator and after developing a relationship with Hamlet jr. she became close enough with Claudius to convince him that he deserved to be king. This causes him to murder his own brother. Then, Ophelia begins secretly poisoning Horatio and Hamlet. Paid guards act as though they have seen a

Polonius meets with Claudius and Gertrude and suggests an arranged meeting of Hamlet and Ophelia. Because of his great devotion to Ophelia, he is very skeptical of Hamlet. Later, he crosses paths with him during a poison induced craze. This makes him dislike Hamlet more, Ophelia doesn’t know how much Polonius dislikes Hamlet. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive, Hamlet quickly discovers that they were sent by Claudius even though he is in a poisoned state. Hamlet tells them that he is frustrated that he is sometimes sane and sometimes isn’t. Beyond this, Ophelia has been acting two-faced towards him. Hamlet can’t understand what is happening to him or why Ophelia is constantly changing her feelings towards hi m. The actors arrive and one of them gives a speech. Hamlet is drawn to the actors for their ability to ease between different personalities. He believes everyone around him is two-faced and the actors can demonstrate how easy people can be deceiving. He devises the plan for his own play as a way to clarify in his own mind what is actually

These are faces and masks that he has compiled in order to surround himself with something that is real, something that is sane. He believes that those around him are not who they seem, ever since Ophelia began poisoning him. He has collected these faces and human forms as a way to surround himself with fixed beings. In his mind he considers the polarities of his life and what is means to commit suicide. In this place Hamlet delivers "to be or not to be." After the speech he runs into Ophelia and is angered after his long session of thought. He gets angry with her and says horrible things to her. She knows that Claudius and Polonius can hear her, so she responds innocently which only send Hamlet further into his