Ophelia Developed by Symbolism Imagery and Irony
Ophelia Developed by Symbolism, Imagery and Irony
Denied the freedom of speech, she cannot survive the contemptuous conversations of the cruel world. Being a female in a kingdom full of chaos and deceitfulness, the harmless Ophelia is forced to keep silent and surrender to the domineering men in her life. Her lover feigns madness in an attempt to avoid prosecution of murder. By hiding behind his mask of insanity after accidentally killing Ophelia’s father, Ophelia’s lover ultimately loses his true-love: Ophelia. Hamlet is the name of Ophelia’s lover and the title of Shakespeare’s most renowned play. Although Ophelia is not the focal character in Hamlet, the audience is moved by the subtleness and complexity of her mind. The audience feels sympathetic towards Ophelia because she is completely undeserving of her emotional and physical suffrages throughout this tragedy. Ophelia’s character can be developed through the use of the literary devices of figurative imagery, symbolism and irony.
First, Ophelia’s character is unearthed by the use of figurative imagery. This literary device functions to uncover the messages hidden behind Ophelia’s fractured speech and unpredictable actions. By drawing comparisons between what is unfamiliar to something that is familiar to the reader, figurative imagery can change complex ideas into relatable concepts. Ophelia’s character can be described as loving, gentle and innocent through the use of flower imagery. Ophelia’s brother, Laertes, first introduces this flower imagery associated with Ophelia:
A violet in the youth of primy nature,
Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,
The perfume and suppliance of a minute,
No more.
(I, iii, ll. 7-10)
In this quotation, Laertes is trying to convince Ophelia that Hamlet is not to be trusted, and that his love for her may be deceitful. Laertes compares Hamlet’s love for Ophelia to a violet, which flowers in the early spring and smells very sweet, but does not last long. He believes that, like a violet that withers away shortly after blooming, Hamlet will soon fall out of love with Ophelia and she will be left alone. By warning Ophelia of Hamlet’s possible mistrust and by having concern for her feelings, Laertes shows the audience how deep a bond exists between himself and Ophelia. However, the fact that Laertes and his father both have little faith in Ophelia’s decisions shows that they think of...