Ophelias Descent to Madness in Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay

People have mostly seen women inferior to men because women have been thought of as simple-minded and could not take care of themselves. Shakespeare’s Hamlet shows how men treated and thought of women during the 1500s. There was an order most did not interfere with; however, some did. In the 1500s, women were supposed to conform to men’s wishes. Throughout the play, Ophelia first obeyed her father and brother’s wishes, ignored the social norms later, and then went mad, which caused her to never gain her own identity. To stay in control, the men in Hamlet taught Ophelia to fear her every day, natural thoughts causing her not to think for herself. Gabrielle Danes article, Reading Ophelias Madness, discusses Polonius and Laertes†¦show more content†¦In Hamlet, Polonius says, Read on this book, that show of such an exercise may colour your loneliness (3.1.46-49). Polonius instructs Ophelia to read the book so Hamlet would approach her, and Polonius and Claud ius could find out why Hamlet went mad. Conclusion. In the beginning of the play, Ophelia was like any other obedient young woman during the time. In Understanding Hamlet, Richard Corum shows that Ophelia is obedient. He writes, Though Hamlet has been courting her, Ophelia willingly obeys her father when he tells her to discourage the princes advances (Corum 26). Ophelia obeys her fathers demands because it was expected during that time of women to comply with mens wishes. In Hamlet, Ophelia disregards her own feelings towards Hamlet. Ophelia does as she is told: POL. This is for all: I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth, have you slander any moment leisure, as to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet. Look tot, I charge you. Come your ways. OPH. I shall obey, my lord (1.3.131-36) Even though Ophelia has a fondness for Hamlet, she listens to her father when he tells her to leave Hamlet alone. Conclusion. Because of all the men in her life using her, Ophelia soon becomes confused. Dane tells about Ophelias descent to growing confused in Reading Ophelias Madness. She states, Male voices fill her head, guiding her very thoughts [...] she grows more and more confused, more sundered from any sense ofShow MoreRelatedMental Illness in Shakespeares Works1371 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout Shakespeare’s many works, mental illnesses have played an undeniable part in many of them, especially his tragedies. From Lady Macbeth hallucination of a bloody spot leading to her suicide, to Hamlet’s faked illness and Ophelia’s very real illness, afflictions of the mind are featured prominently in the Bard of Avalon’s many works. 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