Applying Showalter's Ideas to Branagh's Hamlet Film Version by criticizing analyzes of Shakespeare's Hamlet which have virtually ignored the character of Ophelia in the past. Feminist criticism argues that Ophelia is an important character in her own right, not just a foil for Hamlet. Furthermore, she says that Ophelia's story is important to tell from a feminist perspective because it allows Ophelia to steal the spotlight from Hamlet, and that this narrative can be achieved by tracing Ophelia's iconography in visual arts, theater, films and even psychiatric theory. .Showalter's essay revolves around three related themes. She believes that the social iconography of Ophelia demonstrates the cultural connections between female sexuality and female madness, and she also believes that this iconography shows the historical exchange between psychiatric theory and the representation of Ophelia in culture. Finally, Showalter traces the way actresses portrayed Ophelia on stage throughout the evolution of the feminist movement. By applying Showalter's ideas to Kenneth Branagh's film version of Hamlet, a feminist interpretation can be extracted from the film. However, not all of Showalter's arguments are relevant to the film. It is not possible to trace the historical depiction of Ophelia in the film as there is only one depiction, but it is entirely possible to use Showalter's references on the association between madness feminine and sexuality to interpret the film. If applied to Branagh's film, this theme, along with Showalter's ideas about the connection between the depiction of Ophelia...... middle of paper ......st between the depiction of sexuality feminine and feminine madness. Thus, by using feminist theory to show these connections in Branagh's Hamlet, Showalter's goal of concluding with "a fuller sense of the responsibilities of feminist criticism, as well as a new perspective on Ophelia" is achieved (224). . Real. Kenneth Branagh. Perf. Kenneth Branagh, Kate Winslet, Brian Blessed, Richard Briars, Julie Cristie, Billy Crystal, Derek Jacobi, Michael Malony. Castle Rock, 1996.Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Susanne L. Wofford. Case studies in contemporary criticism. Boston: St. Martin's, 1994. Showalter, Elaine. “Representing Ophelia: women, madness and the responsibilities of feminist criticism.” William Shakespeare: Hamlet. Ed. Susanne L. Wofford. Case studies in contemporary criticism. Boston: Saint Martin, 1994. 220-240.