(Hint: I believe it is about why we act or fail to act it is not about suicide.) At the point in the play that you referenced in your question Ophelia, is of course, drowned. RALPH: These two images of Ophelia in fact are complementary Ophelia is tragically unaware that she is about to die, and yet visually she also seems at home here in this brook, as her madness has finally taken her completely out of her unhappy situation back at the court. Or would her fate be the same? In the begining of the play Ophelia knows that Hamlet loves her yet decides to keep her distance because her brother tells her to. He and Hamlet then quarrel over who loved Ophelia more, and I think that youre absolutely right in saying that Ophelias insanity is caused by a combination of Poloniuss death and Hamlets spurning of her, and murder of her father. Millais described the flies as more muscular in Surrey, that he was threatened with a notice to appear before a magistrate for trespassing in a field and destroying the hay, and finally, he also described the danger of being blown by the wind into the water and meeting the same fate as that of his protagonist Ophelia. Already a member? It causes many people to wonder if she should even be buried in the christian cemetery. I definitely feel that before Polonius dies she is effected by how Hamlet treats her, which the argument I made in my post. Explain Ophelia's death in Hamlet. - eNotes.com Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Or would her fate be the same? Great points! Sam, I definitely feel that before Polonius dies she is effected by how Hamlet treats her, which the argument I made in my post. There is a necklace of purple violets around her neck and a small pink rosebud on its stem near her right ear. Hamlet in the Graveyard Act 5 Scene 1 of Hamlet opens in a graveyard. Despite whether or not the cause of her madness is her fathers death or the loss of her boyfriend or something entirely different, Ofelia almost falls into madness. The painting Ophelia (18511852) by John Everett Millais explores several themes, from death, love, life, madness, and nature. Little by little, the revelations come with the aid of his fathers ghost. Claudius then promises to have a monument constructed in her memory. The host of Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan says the circumstances surrounding the death of Georgia mother Debbie Collier have left him befuddled, following the Georgia Bureau of Investigations determination that the death was a suicide. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/ This description might support Ophelia's accidental death as a result of her madness. Many of the lines throughout her singing episodes also support your claim, as you aptly discuss. This implies that she has taken her own life. In Shakespeare's play "Hamlet," Ophelia is a tragic figure whose untimely death serves as a catalyst for the events of the play. He was also made Baronet in 1885. WebAfter the death of his sister, Ophelia, Laertes joins forces with Claudius in a plan to assassinate Hamlet. A discussion of Gertrude's description of Ophelia's death in Act 4, Scene 7 of myShakespeare'sHamlet. The Ophelia painting was exhibited in 1852 at the Royal Academy of Arts and received a variety of responses, some criticisms, and some praises, for example, The Morning Chronicle from 1852 described it as startling in its originality and a review in The Times newspaper likened Ophelia as a dairymaid in a frolic. His astonishment, though, places him in danger. Her death comes in the denouement of the play following the Act 3 climax. Furthermore, if Ophelias death was, indeed, a subliminal expression of an unconscious desire to die, it is essential to discuss the reason for this unconscious desire; whether or not it was Ophelias random singing was the first sign of madness when I first read it because instead of trying to save herself from drowning she was just calmly singing and letting the heavy water pile on top of her and her clothing. At that point in time, it seemed to be an attribute to Ophelia letting herself go; but since you are comparing and including it within the madness of Ophelia I now find myself second guessing whether or not it was her letting herself go or if she was in fact mad. Laertess revenge was very similar yet different from the actions of Hamlet and Fortinbras. Even the priest questions her Christian burial, since suicides are not supposed to be laid in hallowed ground. SARAH: Gertrude offers two different visions here of Ophelia singing as she sinks into the water the first is of someone unaware of her life-threatening danger, and seems to convey Ophelia's actual state. I wonder if her father didnt die would she have reacted to this accident in the same way? Queen Gertrude explained how Ophelia tried to climb a willow tree to pick flowers, but she fell into the weeping brook when an envious sliver broke (a branch); her clothes kept her afloat only for a short while and she sang, which time she chanted snatches of old tunes but eventually her garments, heavy with their drink caused her to sink down to her muddy death. I think that youre absolutely right in saying that Ophelias insanity is caused by a combination of Poloniuss death and Hamlets spurning of her, and murder of her father. what star wars does luke train with yoda how to build a privacy fence on a deck. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. The orientation of the composition itself is landscape, which creates an overall horizontal linearity, emphasized by Ophelias placement in the scene; her body and the part of the stream she floats in both create a horizontal band running through the center of the canvas. Ophelia is doing as a proper lady should, and for it she is punished. She appears almost unaware of the fact that she is drowning (As one incapable of her own distress), and she is still singing, as per Queen Ophelias description of her in Hamlet (Act 4, Scene 7), which was mentioned earlier in the article. Video journalist: Emma Colman. Shakespeare and the Question of Theory. WebOphelias death is most likely an accident because Gertrude never implied anything about suicide. Instead, she chanted snatches of old lauds [hymns], / As one incapable of her own distress (4.7.18283). John Everett Millais painted so close to nature that you would think the Ophelia painting is a photograph. 2007, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/describe-the-fate-of-ophelia-as-reported-by-441. Though the man in the song has promised the speaker that they will soon wed, he has left her for no apparent reason and like Hamlets alleged claims of love and marriage to Ophelia, so too has Hamlet broken those vows for reasons unbeknownst. I wonder which had more an effect? As rich as it is in the foliage and flowers of the natural landscape, so too is it in implied texture, which gives the illusion of the tactile appearance of the subject matter. WebOphelia was caught up in the political and emotional intrigue and died in mysterious circumstances. I think your suggestion that Ophelias madness is also the consequential result of her failed relationship with Hamlet is totally credible. Tweet. The first is her father, Polonius, who bids her stay away from Hamlet, and then go to Hamlet to help spy on him. Problems that could have prompted her to end her life which include being thought of as an obedient piece of property. Pin 1. In Act Four she spirals into madness and dies under ambiguous circumstances. There are many different things that contribute to Ophelias death, and I like that you put it all out there. In this article, we will discuss one of the most famous renditions of her tragic end by pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais. Notice the broken tip of one of the leaves and the overall smoothness, upright firmness, yet soft flexibility. Jessica Tovey is an Australian actor and writer, who has worked across film, theatre and television for over 15 years. I too agree you regarding Ophelia as a pitiable character in this Shakespeare play. Describe the fate of Ophelia, as reported by Gertrude Hamlet performs a soliloquy. In the begining of the play Ophelia knows that Hamlet loves her yet decides to keep her distance because her brother tells her to. Your email address will not be published. Although she is tragic, she is also used at will with the men around her. Some see Ophelia's death as an accident; others see it as a suicide resulting They argue whether Ophelia should be buried in the churchyard since her death looks like a suicide. Hamlet tries to kill Claudius three times. When Ophelia's death is first relayed to the audience by Queen Gertrude, she talks about Ophelia drowning accidentally, after a branch from the willow tree breaks off, causing Ophelia to fall into the waters. Alongside its appearances in pop culture like film, television, and music, the Ophelia painting has influenced modern artists like the Surrealist Salvador Dal, who also produced an iteration of the scene titled Ophelias Death (1973). The Ophelia painting depicts organic shapes and forms that are found in nature versus geometric shapes and forms. Ophelias Death With the loss of her father, brother, and her lover all extremely close together is enough to make anyone go mad I suppose. It must also be difficult for her to reconcile the fact that her lover murdered her father, and in doing so took away all present support systems from her. It is interesting to me that you believe her suicide is due to both her fathers death AND her complex relationship with Hamlet. We both wrote about Ophelia! Death Her death is reported by Queen Gertrude, Hamlets mother, in great poetic WebWhen reporting Ophelias death, Gertrude states that there is a willow grows askant the brook (4.7. I really liked the points you brought up about Ophelia, I wrote about her in my blog post as well. The use of color in Ophelia (1851-1852) by John Everett Millais; John Everett Millais, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.