Character Sketch: Ophelia

This is a character analysis of Ophelia from Shakespeare's Hamlet.  In this essay, I assessed why Ophelia was driven mad, and what led her to suicide.

“To be, or not to be, that is the question” (3.1.53).  This quote, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is spoken by the tragic hero himself, Hamlet.  The tragedy of Hamlet begins with the brutal murder of Hamlet’s father, followed by the hasty remarriage of his mother to his uncle, and ends with a long list of other unfortunate events.  In the midst of the misfortune stands our Hamlet, who, after learning his uncle was responsible for his father’s murder, determines to get revenge.  However, despite his good intentions and his noble status, Hamlet’s tragic flaw of not taking action leads to his downfall.  While taking his final breaths of life, Hamlet realizes that he is responsible for his demise, thus making him a tragic hero.

            Hamlet has the best intentions, and he is clearly a good person.  We see this when Hamlet speaks of his mother’s remarriage just two months after the death of his father: “But two months dead – nay not so much, not two” (1.2.11).  Hamlet is clearly upset, not only because his mother remarried to his uncle, but also because she seemed to have completely forgotten about his father in such a short time.  Someone who did not have high standards or a tender heart would not be so upset about the situation, but Hamlet was very troubled by it.  Also, after having an eerie chat with his ghost-father, Hamlet learned the true culprit of his father’s death: “So, uncle, there you are.  Now to my word” (1.5.26).  Hamlet vowed to his father that he would avenge his “foul and most unnatural murder” (1.5.23).  Hamlet remained loyal to his father, and determined to do right, even if it meant putting himself in danger. 

            Another element that makes Hamlet a tragic hero is his superiority.  “Hail to your lordship” (1.2.11) and “My lord, the King your father” (1.2.12) are both used by Horatio, Hamlet’s friend, when he addresses Hamlet.  He is the prince of Denmark, therefore making him royalty.  However, his nobility doesn’t help him out much when it comes to his tragic flaw.  Hamlet, even though he is a good, noble person, has difficulty with not taking action.  He himself even realizes this, when he states, “How all occasions do inform against me, / And spur my dull revenge” (4.4.85).  He finishes this statement with, “O, from this time forth, / My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth” (4.4.86).  Hamlet knows that he is putting off killing his uncle, but he realizes this a bit too late: “O God, Horatio, what a wounded name, / Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me” (5.2.120)!  After the death of Polonius, Ophelia, his mother, Laertes, and the king, Hamlet sees what a horrible mess he has made of everything, and begs Horatio to tell his story.

            The events of Hamlet are truly tragic because most of them could have been avoided if Hamlet had just acted sooner.  He was good in that he saw the immorality of the world, and that he vowed to do something right, but this wasn’t enough to prevent the deaths of many innocent, good people.  His royalty wasn’t enough to make him take action sooner, which ultimately led to his own death.  Hamlet realized all of this, but by time he did, it was already too late, thus making him a tragic hero.