The Ophelia Project In Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'

The Ophelia Project

“Most people don’t know the answer to the question, ‘How are you? How do you feel?’ The reason why they don’t know is that they are so busy feeling what they are supposed to feel, thinking what they’re supposed to think, that they never get down to examining their own deepest feelings.” (Hayakawa 1) Society imposes and influences human beings in such a way that we begin to mimic what it wants us to be. In the play Hamlet written by the memorable author William Shakespeare, Ophelia fails to be herself and enjoy life as it is but instead lets men that surround her control her life. Ophelia’s character is depicted as a weak and impotent individual. Shakespeare indirectly portrays Ophelia as a vulnerable character; Thomas G. Plummer imposes a connection to an Ophelia Syndrome that everyone experiences due to the lack of self empowerment and self will.

Particularly, in the article Diagnosing and Treating the Ophelia Syndrome T. Plummer writes to us about Ophelia’s dilemma and thoroughly explains a way in our everyday life how we experience The Ophelia Syndrome. In the play, Ophelia is an adult that doesn’t form her own opinions, a photocopy of what Polonious, Laertes, and Hamlet ought her to be. In our everyday life we might be suffering from the Ophelia syndrome for example, “Universities may be rendering their most serious students, those who have been ‘good’ all their lives, vulnerable to the Ophelia Syndrome rather than motivating them to individuation.” (Plummer 2) The syndrome consist of one not being able to reach individuation which is the process of learning to distinguish oneself from the rest, failure to reach individuation opens the door of vulnerability leaving oneself prone to becoming independent o...

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...fe, her struggle to look and feel divine, and to hurdle over Hamlet’s love. The white dress and the white flowers represent the person she once used to be, innocent and morally pure prior to losing her virginity to Hamlet. The fade in effect gives the illusion Ophelia once was lively and colorful person that disintegrated her beauty and personality to the imposing personalities around her.

Ophelia’s personality explains the importunity weak individuals fall into. Shakespeare indirectly portrays Ophelia as a vulnerable character; Thomas G. Plummer imposes a connection to an Ophelia Syndrome that everyone lives through. Thus, learning to think for yourself and build a road to individuation is an important self empowerment skill. Do you think if Ophelia had a stronger personality and had the guts to stand up for her rights the play would have ended in a different way?