Ophelia's Madness

Paper Summary:

The paper reveals that the theme of madness is one of the most important motifs of Shakespeare's play "Hamlet". The paper discusses Ophelia's madness, in particular, and explains that it is caused by multiple reasons. The paper also discusses how, because Ophelia is significantly the purest and most innocent character of the play, Shakespeare represents the state of madness of the court of Denmark through her. The paper therefore shows that Ophelia is an extremely important character, despite her apparent secondary role.

From the Paper:

"The figure of Ophelia and the relationship that builds between her and Hamlet are extremely significant elements for the overall meaning of Shakespeare's masterpiece. It has to be noted, first of all, that madness is one of the most important motifs of the play. As it is obvious from Shakespeare's other works, madness is correlated paradoxically with wisdom, rather than nonsense. Thus, King Lear for instance, becomes wise only when he becomes mad. The same applies to Shakespeare's fools and clowns, who, while speaking nonsense, actually reveal the truth. In Hamlet, madness is transferred in a curious way from Hamlet, who only feigns it, to Ophelia, who actually goes insane. Moreover, Hamlet's feigned madness is his answer to the general corruptness of the court, and his only way to cope with the moral and philosophical choices he has to make. "

More papers on Ophelia's Madness:

• Analytical Essay # 86691 : "The Madness of Ophelia"
• Comparison Essay # 58064 : "Madness in "Hamlet", "Macbeth," and "King Lear"
• Analytical Essay # 29642 : "Hamlet and Ophelia"
• Analytical Essay # 112037 : "Revenge and Madness in "Hamlet"

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