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  • Essay / Discussion of whether Hamlet loved Ophelia

    In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, we are presented with several conflicting statements about the relationship between our main character Hamlet and his girlfriend Ophelia. During the first two acts, Hamlet declares that he loves Ophelia, that he intends to marry her, and that he is upset that Ophelia's father disapproves of their relationship. However, as the story unfolds and Hamlet becomes more and more drawn into the conspiracy to kill his uncle and avenge his father, Hamlet begins to say that he hates Ophelia and that she is not nothing more than a whore to him. In the third act, I believe Hamlet's true personality, as well as his opinions on Ophelia, are shown. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In the second act, Hamlet writes a letter to Ophelia, which is read to the audience by Ophelia's father, Polonius. “You doubt the stars. are fire; I doubt the sun moves; I doubt the truth to be a liar; But never doubt that I love. At this point, while Hamlet has spoken to his father's ghost and plans to avenge his father, he still has time to focus on everyday life and make sure he has a wife and plans to start a family in the future. At this point in the story, Hamlet has the ability to focus on Ophelia and be angry at Ophelia's father and Polonius for limiting their ability to see and talk to each other. However, at this point Ophelia shows the letter to her father, which causes Hamlet to not trust people, including his family, which, combined with his father's death, leads Hamlet on his descent into the madness. At the beginning of Act Three, Hamlet states that although he no longer loves her, he loved Ophelia. “Yes, really; for the power of beauty will sooner transform the honesty of what it is into debauchery than the force of honesty can translate beauty into its likeness: this was once a paradox, but now time gives the evidence. I loved you once. »Hamlet contradicts this in his next line, but I believe that Hamlet truly believes that he loved Ophelia. If he didn't mean that, then his previous poem for Ophelia, his intention to marry her, and his hatred towards Ophelia's father, Polonius, were just lies on Hamlet's part. However, Hamlet had no reason to lie about his love for her. At the beginning of the third act, Hamlet's opinion of Ophelia changes dramatically. Hamlet gives the famous "To be or not to be" speech, and at this point he wonders if it is worth throwing away his life, and possibly dying, simply to avenge his father. Immediately after questioning his own mortality, he begins yelling at Ophelia, “You shouldn’t have believed me; for virtue cannot thus inoculate our old stocks but we will savor it: I have not loved you. I believe this is when Hamlet's true colors begin to show. At this point, Hamlet has questioned his own mortality and realizes that death is not something to fear, and he is willing to die or commit suicide to avenge his father. “For in this sleep of death, what dreams can arise? this mortal coil” Hamlet is ready to leave his future and his life with Ophelia behind, and accept that death is a likely possibility. He has accepted that his future is not as important as his father's revenge, so he no longer needs to be nice to Ophelia and begins to yell at her and tell her that she is worthless. One of the most interesting things Hamlet says is that she has to go to a convent. “Go to a convent: why would you want to be a breeder of sinners? I.