hamlet essay on ophelia

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Characterization of Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet Amanda Louise

Ophelia’s situation in Shakespeare’s Hamlet not only invokes pity in the reader but also provides an example of the nature of men and women and accentuates Hamlet’s tragic flaws. Shakespeare so beautifully links the female with the liquid, insanity, and frailty through this character that we often fail to realize the underlying message he intended for us. Ophelia’s mistreatment by the various men in her life drove her to insanity, and eventually to her symbolic death.

Ophelia had little self-esteem to begin with. When Laertes confronts her about her relationship with the prince Hamlet, she simply complies. He does not try to be sensitive when he tells Ophelia that Hamlet’s love is “a fashion and a toy in blood, a violet in…nature, forward, not permanent, sweet, [and] not lasting” (1.3.7-9). Laertes, however, is the least of the harmful influences the male sex has on Ophelia. Ophelia’s father Polonius is incredibly unkind, insensitive, and disrespectful of his daughter. Polonius does not credit Ophelia with enough common sense to be able to judge anything on her own. He cruelly twists her words and tells her she should consider herself a baby. His mistreatment of his daughter permanently forges an emotional barrier between...

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As with the other posts on Claudius and Gertrude, this is a summary of Ophelia’s main appearances in the play. It is not an interpretation of her character – you have to make up your own mind. Is she a person we admire or pity? Why? Is she limited in what she can say and do because she is a woman living in Shakespearean times and thus must obey the men in her life? (If we judge her for being weak we are assuming she is free to act differently) Is she a good daughter? A good girlfriend to Hamlet? Does she deliberately hurt those around her? Do they hurt her? How does she respond? Does she deserve the suffering she goes through in the play? Does she deserve the way she dies?

Act 1, scene 3 Laertes & Polonius warn her off Hamlet.

•  When Laertes warns her to guard her virtue and protect her reputation and virginity “ Be wary then best safety lies in fear ” Ophelia shows a lively spirit and a quick mind in her response “ Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, show me the steep and thorny way to heaven whiles…himself the primrose path of dalliance treads “. )Here she teases her brother for being a hypocrite).
• Ophelia attempts to defend Hamlet “ My lord he hath importuned me with love in honourable fashion ” even though her father suggests that Hamlet’s love for her isn’t genuine and ridicules her naiveity “ Affection, pooh! You speak like a green girl “.
• She gives in quite easily when Polonius forbids her from seeing Hamlet again “ I shall obey my lord “. A modern audience may expect her to (in the words of Cheryl Cole) fight fight fight fight fight for this love but this was unheard of in Shakepearean times when women were completely dependent on first their fathers and later their husbands for literally everything – food, clothes, shelter, security. They didn’t dare disobey. Even expressing an opinion here was brave on Ophelia’s part.
• The dramatic function of this scene is to emphasise that yet another person is betraying Hamlet and at the moment when he needs her the most – he cannot turn to his mother, his father is dead and now the last person he is close to (his girlfriend) is about to turn her back on him too. We don’t necessarily blame her; nonetheless Hamlet has our sympathy as a result of her poorly timed rejection of him.

Act 2. scene 1   Ophelia describes Hamlet’s bizarre behaviour when he visited her in her chambers.

• Ophelia describes Hamlet’s visit – his clothes were untidy “ his doublet all unbraced “, he appeared deeply sad and distressed “ with a look so piteous in purport as if he had been loosed out of hell to speak of horrors ” and seemed unsure of Ophelia “ he took me by the wrist and held me hard…he falls to such persual of my face as he would draw it ” and then turned away but did not confide in her “ he raised a sigh so piteous and profound as it did seem to shatter all his bulk and end his being “. We wonder why she didn’t follow him as he left, or make a greater effort to discover the cause if his misery – if someone you loved behaved like this would you not do everything you could to find out what was troubling them, so that you could help end their misery and distress?
• Ophelia reveals that she has broken off their relationship “ as you did command I did repel his letters and denied his access to me “. Her use of the word command implies that she didn’t feel she had a choice. Her concern following his visit shows that she cares for him and did not intentionally add to his suffering. This scene also convinces us that Hamlet’s love for Ophelia is genuine but he is no longer sure that he can trust her – or any woman – because of his mother’s actions and because of Ophelia’s rejection of him.

Act 3, scene 1 The Nunnery Scene

• Ophelia is told how to behave when Hamlet appears “ Walk you here…Read on this book ” . Iit is probably unfair to judge her for ‘going along’ with this plan to use her as bait because she was mosly likely never consulted – she is but a pawn in a game of chess being played by her father & Claudius (as a woman & the King’s subject she must obey).
• Any hesitations she has are probably balanced out by her desire to see Hamlet again and her hope that her father is right – that Hamlet is lovesick – because if this is true, then there is a possibility that they can be reunited, if only to cure Hamlet of his melancholy and madness. (In her mind this is probably her best chance of getting her father to approve of them as a couple).
• Ophelia rejects Hamlet a second time by trying to return the gifts he gave her when they were together (imagine how hurt you’d be if your ex did this, as though your entire relationship meant nothing). She defends this saying “ Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind ” implying that she once treasured these love tokens but now – because of Hamlet’s ‘unkindness’ – no longer sees them in the same light. This seems highly unfair to Hamlet. After all, she broke up with him and his unkindness towards her now (“ Get thee to a nunnery “) springs from the pain of her rejection. He is deeply insulted that she thought so little of him (that he was only after her virginity) so easily (just because her father and brother said so) and this is why he makes jokes about her chastity (“ I’ll give thee this plague for a dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow “). He also starts to believe that all women are this fickle and untrustworthy “ wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them” “ God hath given you one face and you make yourselves another “. He also seems to know that Polonius is spying on them – in his mind further proof that women cannot be trusted, as she seems to be helping the ‘enemy’!
• Despite his cruel words and erratic behaviour, Ophelia refuses to think badly of Hamlet – the Hamlet she knows would never treat her like this. Again we sense that these are two star-crossed lovers torn apart by circumstances and misunderstandings yet truly in love and meant to be together.  Ophelia opts instead to believe that he is mad “ O what a noble mind is here o’erthrown” “O woe is me, to have seen what I have seen, to see what I see” .

Act 3, scene 2 The Player’s Play

• Ophelia remains calm despite Hamlet’s lewd sexual innuendos “ Lady shall I lie in your lap?” “Did you think I meant country matters “. It is almost as if he is deliberately acting like a Lothario (a man who seduces women) to make fun of her belief that that’s the kind of man he is. Remember though, she only began to think this because her father put this thought in her head and now it’s possible that his behaviour is confirming for Ophelia that he really is like this!

Act 4, scene 5 Ophelia’s madness

• Gertrude reluctantly agrees to speak to Ophelia, who enters, obviously mad, singing love songs. Her father has been murdered by the man she loves and her mind cannot cope with the horror of what has happened “ I would give you some violets but they withered all when my father died “. She has moments of sanity where she contemplates the heartbreaking reality of burying her father “ I cannot choose but weep to think they would lay him ‘i the cold ground “.

Act 4, scene 7 & Act 5, scene 1 Ophelia’s death and funeral

• The description of her death is one of the most haunting & poignant in all of literature and has inspired many famous paintings. Even the hardest of hearts melts with pity to hear how this beautiful innocent creature met her end “ Her clothes spread wide and mermaid like awhile they bore her up, which time she chanted snatches of old lauds as one incapable of her own distress “. The dramatic function of this description is to emphasise how damaging Hamlet’s delay has been for all concerned.
• The tributes paid to Ophelia at her graveside remind the audience that she was essentially a pawn in a game she neither asked to play nor understood. Gertrude laments what could have been “ I hoped thou shouldst have been my Hamlet’s wife ” , Laertes emphasises her innocence “ Lay her ‘i th’ earth, and from her fair and unpolluted flesh let violets spring ” (He blames Hamlet for her death because his murder of Polonius is what drove her mad) and Hamlet, blinded by grief and rage that he might be held responsible proclaims “ I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum “.

Ophelia’s dramatic function in the play is to do the following:

• Illustrate how powerless women were in Elizabethan times, living in a male-dominated society where men had absolute control over their wives and daughters.
• Emphasise Hamlet’s absolute isolation – if he cannot trust her, can he trust anyone?
• Remind us how easily true love can be destroyed, through circumstances and misunderstandings.
• Show how easily innocent people can get caught up in external political events and end up dead, particularly if those in power are corrupt.
• Highlight the tragic consequences of Hamlet’s inaction.

Now you need to organise this information into 6 coherent paragraphs

• First look at Ophelia’s manipulation by her father and brother and how this relates to her position as a woman in this era.
•  Examine her rejection of Hamlet & reaction when he visits her.
• Next analyse her interaction with Hamlet in the nunnery scene and before the play.
• Fourthly look at her madness.
• Fifthly look at the impact of her death on the audience – the imagery used is designed to arouse our sympathy.
• Finally discuss the tributes paid to her by other characters.

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Shakespearean Hamlet’s and Ophelia’s Relationship

Introduction, exploring hamlet’s personality, exploring ophelia’s personality, relationship analysis, works cited.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet transcends time and generations as it illuminates universal themes, with love and revenge being among the prominent ones. The relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia serves as an example of the theme of love in the play, with its complexities illustrating the ups and downs as well as how the inner struggles the protagonist experiences affect their connection. The relationship between two characters has often been placed in a similar category as Romeo and Juliet as young and inexperienced lovers whose relationship is cursed by circumstance and fate. However, in contrast to Romeo and Juliet, the love between Hamlet and Ophelia is often implied in the play as the dominant theme is for the protagonist to achieve revenge for the death of his father (Skulsky 79). Moreover, the circumstances of their relationship drive its development, and the final term as the romance between the two characters fails because Ophelia and Hamlet share different perspectives on love and romantic relationship. Thus, the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia develops based on the main character struggling with his inner turmoil and negative emotions, which shape the nature of their connection.

To his very core, Hamlet is an idealistic person that has abstract ideals and aspirations. He perceives himself as a poet and philosopher even though his role in the play does not allow him to fulfill this aspiration. From his first appearance in the novel, Hamlet presents as a moody and troubled young person who is mentally tortured by the thoughts of his father’s death and the marriage of his mother to his uncle (Nasrin et al. 84). Even though Hamlet’s mother tries comforting her son and encourages him to let go of the grief, he rebukes the mother and suspects her of betrayal. Such an exchange between Hamlet and his mother paints an image of the protagonist as someone experiencing emotions in the superlative, feeling them deeply and indiscriminately.

For example, in Hamlet’s first soliloquy, his expressions are deeply poetical, particularly about the pain he endured due to the loss of his father. The character speaks about the ghost of his father and his “sallied flesh” as something that contributes to the deepening conflict inside him (Samons 13)). Hamlet’s speech as a whole is ridden with metaphors and references to Greek mythology, which points to his royal education and intelligence. However, despite this, he rarely applies rational thinking to explore and analyze the situations in which he finds himself. Instead, he retreats inward in his deep emotions, refusing to think clearly and rationally, which wraps his mind in mental torture that prevents him from moving on from grief.

Using his wallowing as a tool for literary development, Hamlet makes attempts to present himself as a theorist and philosopher with the brooding melancholy of a romantic. If one considers Hamlet an individual who is prone to paving the way for modern philosophy, the conflict associated with his father’s ghost instructing him to take action is unsurprising. Being a thinker encouraged to take the role of a doer, Hamlet’s fate is already pre-determined. He is unable to transform his introspection into action when trying to get revenge for his father. As suggested by Javed, “Hamlet is an unwilling instrument in the gradual drift toward disaster […] a perfect example of an idealist who shrinks from accepting the role forced upon him” (327). Thus, the complex character of Hamlet makes him an idealist riddled with continuous self-exploration, which negatively influences his relationship with Ophelia.

As a juxtaposition to the psychological intellectualism regularly exhibited by Hamlet, Ophelia’s character is much calmer and more practical as she is more in tune with reality. She gets attention from Hamlet, and she takes note of it, stating to her father that he “hath importuned me with love / In honorable fashion…And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord, / With almost all the holy vows of heaven” (Shakespeare 109). However, the young woman is not only concerned with love as a positive and warm emotion that any person desires. She also highly values courtship as a crucial element of a relationship between a man and a woman, which must be adequately expressed and displayed by her admirer. Nevertheless, she obeys her father’s wish to deny the attention that Hamlet exhibits toward her, which may point to her passivity. After all, her social mobility as a woman was highly limited by the power that the patriarch of a family exerted.

It is quite surprising for a Shakespearean character to renounce a lover to please her father. In contrast to Juliet, who went against the wishes of her entire family to be with her beloved Romeo, Ophelia is unique in her choice. Thus, her actions may speak more directly about her character rather than her position in society as a woman. It seems that Ophelia finds value in predictability and stability, which she expects to establish when building a relationship with a man. She does not allow herself to be in continuous pondering of her existence, which is quite the opposite of how Hamlet approaches life. In contrast to the lengthy soliloquies in which Hamlet expressed his thoughts and desires, Ophelia is short and concise in her expressions: “I think nothing my lord” (Shakespeare 105), which is evidence of her unassuming character.

Thus, Ophelia is different from Hamlet in her character, and she does not soliloquize her feelings, nor does she question what others tell her. As mentioned by Camden, Ophelia is a “tender-hearted, delicate-minded young girl, well reared in proper obedience to her father, and experiencing what is her first introduction to the bittersweet delights of love” (249). Moreover, Ophelia is more aware that love goes beyond fantasy and the emotions that two starry-eyed young people experience.

At the start, she attempts to protect the sincerity of Hamlet when he expresses his feelings toward her while also considering the warning that her father made regarding the future of such a relationship. By considering both perspectives, Ophelia can make informed decisions drawing from the wisdom of her father, who has had more life experiences than her. Although her belief in the father’s authority is naïve, it is understandable as there is no other figure that can give her guidance. Thus, while Ophelia’s perception of love is rooted in tangible and observable actions, Hamlet’s view is much more abstract (Olivas 6). As a result, the different personal qualities and opinions on love and relationships hinder the communication between the two lovers. Besides, Hamlet’s intense desire to avenge the death of his father only contributes to misunderstandings.

The interaction between Ophelia and Hamlet at the start of Act III of the play is illustrative of the differences between them, which, unfortunately, cannot be reconciled easily. While Hamlet views his beloved Ophelia as a romantic entity, which is quite an abstract perception, Ophelia views Hamlet as her potential caretaker and provider, which is an expectation that he cannot fulfill. Living deep in his philosophical thought, Hamlet does not separate love from any other concepts that he ponders in the great question “To be or not to be?” (Shakespeare 55). As Hamlet agonizes over whether to commit suicide to end the pain of his existence, Ophelia enters at the end of his monologue, and the young king acknowledges her presence.

He compares Ophelia to a nymph, which is another reference to Greek mythology, suggesting the youthfulness and divinity of his beloved. Earlier, Hamlet already named the young woman “the celestial and my soul’s idol, the most beautified Ophelia” (Shakespeare 115). Such a characterization of Ophelia by Hamlet entails that he does not view her as a lover or a life partner. Rather, to him, the young woman is an object of admiration and a vessel into which one can pour ideas about a romantic relationship. Perceiving Ophelia as someone who should be receptive to his philosophy of love, Hamlet believes that she can offer him an opportunity to interact with the embodiment of abstract thoughts. It is possible that Hamlet loves Ophelia because she has become his self-developed representation of the highest love form or because he sees that she may conform to his relationship standards. Even though such perceptions do not align with reality, they are not insincere or unkind. They represent Hamlet’s overall propensity to detach from reality, which is also explained by his inaction toward Ophelia in the first part of the play. The love that Hamlet has for Ophelia aligns with his perceptions of romantic relationships, which are different from hers.

Unsurprisingly, the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet does not work out in the end because the young woman’s ideas and perceptions of love are more practical. She follows the advice given by her father and abides by the social rules of conduct when writing letters back to Hamlet. She writes, “My lord, I have remembrances of yours / That I have longèd long to redeliver; / I pray you now receive them” (Shakespeare 92). This behavior shows that Ophelia finds deep value in the gestures of affection, the courtship, which used to be highly important in the Elizabethan period.

Being a young woman without significant social standing and living under the influence of a family patriarch, Ophelia expects Hamlet to fulfill her desire for security. She longs for the safe transition from the care of her father to the care of a husband, which will establish her in the role of a loving wife. When rejecting Hamlet in her letters, she does not directly deny him but rather the course of action that he takes. Ophelia wants her admirer to take the traditional and socially-anticipated route of relationships between men and women, which ends in matrimony (Balestraci 28). Hamlet, however, mocks Ophelia’s obedience to her father and societal standards because he sees their relationship as something higher and transcendent.

The behavior that Hamlet exhibits toward Ophelia is somewhat self-destructive and can be explained by the emotional terror that he experiences when grieving the loss of his father and planning revenge. Therefore, it seems that the young king never wanted his relationship to develop into something serious as he acts in a self-destructive way and with deep emotional intensity, which does not allow his connection with Ophelia to deepen. While his love is deep, it is the love of a poet that thinks in abstract superlatives. When Ophelia rejects him, Hamlet perceives the rejection with the same level of depth, denouncing her. In the end, Ophelia exclaims, “Oh, what a noble mind is here overthrown,” suggesting that her former beloved may have gone mad (Shakespeare 147). Because Ophelia’s understanding of love and relationships is different, she cannot grasp the emotions that Hamlet experiences, which drives them apart.

The relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia teaches the readers and viewers of the play about the importance of a similar worldview for building meaningful and lasting connections. From the very start, Hamlet is deep in his existential inquiry and views the world through intangible phenomena. He is broken after losing his father and is preoccupied with the desire to avenge him, and his love for Ophelia presents an outlet for his emotions and the poetic underpinnings of his personality. For Ophelia, love is defined by measurable acts of kindness and a promise of stability as she is grounded in reality and desires to become a wife. The difference in the lovers’ perceptions of a romantic relationship does not allow them to stay together as they are unable to communicate their expectations regarding love effectively.

Balestraci, Mary. “Victorian Voices: Gender Ideology and Shakespeare’s Female Characters.” Repository Library, 2012. Web.

Camden, Carroll. “On Ophelia’s Madness.” Shakespeare Quarterly , vol. 15, no. 2, 1964, pp. 247-255.

Javed, Tabassum. “Perfect Idealism in Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet.” Dialogue , vol. 8, no. 3, 2013, p. 327.

Nasrin, Farzana, et al. “William Shakespeare: Soliloquies and Asides in Hamlet.” International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature , vol. 4, no. 10, 2016, pp. 82-92.

Olivas, T. A. “Who is Ophelia? An Examination of the Objectification and Subjectivity of Shakespeare’s Ophelia.” Digitalscholarship, 2015. Web.

Samons, Loren. “Noble Minds and Nymphs: The Tragic Romance of Hamlet and Ophelia.” CLA Journal, vol. 6, pp. 12-21.

Shakespeare, William. “Hamlet.” The Norton Shakespeare , edited by Stephen Greenblatt, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2016. pp. 1764-1853.

Skulsky, Harold. “Revenge, Honor, and Conscience in “Hamlet”.” PMLA , vol. 85, no. 1, 1970, pp. 78-87.

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Essay: Ophelia – Hamlet

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As one of only two female characters in Hamlet it seems surprising that Ophelia is presented as unsubstantial and entirely passive. She is polarized by her love for Hamlet and sense of duty to her father, and these feeling bind her completely. She neither questions her father’s demands and instructions nor queries Hamlet’s supposed madness, as both attempt to use her for their own gain. Bound by duty to the men in her life, to her father and brother she is the eternal virgin – the vessel of morality whilst to Hamlet she is a sexual object, she is unable to comprehend these contradictory expectations. The dilemmas these relationships cause force Ophelia to reflect on the irreconcilable contradictory selves that her men demand and this ultimately forces her into madness. Through an exploration her relationships with her brother and father, of her descent into madness and her death, it becomes clear Ophelia is used to destructively further divide the Danish court and augment the sense of systemic corruption. It seems natural to start with Ophelia’s relationship with her father, Polonius. Polonius instantly asserts his dominance over Ophelia by declaring “I would not…have you…give words or have talk with the Lord Hamlet” – he immediately attempts to block Ophelia’s burgeoning romance and in doing so destroys any sense of autonomy and freedom she may have. This sense of Ophelia’s subjugation and passivity is augmented by her response, “I shall obey, my lord” which instantly presents her as entirely submissive and easily manipulated. This moment foreshadows the way Ophelia is pawned by Polonius to establish the validity of Hamlet’s madness in Act 3 scene 1, evidence that Ophelia is used by the male protagonists to further divide the Danish court and so augment the sense of systemic corruption. Furthermore, most importantly perhaps are the expectations Laertes and Polonius have of Ophelia. Laertes tells Ophelia to be wary of Hamlet’s “unmastered importunity” and that to open her “chaste treasure” to him would be a “loss [of] honour”. The use of “treasure” here immediately presents female virginity as a token of honour and purity. The importance of virginity is augmented through “The canker galls the infants of the spring”. The use of “canker”, meaning cancer, immediately presents Hamlet as something corrupt and destructive and here Laertes seems to attempt to manipulate and alter Ophelia’s view of her would be lover. The clever use of “galls” is again suggestive of venality and when applied to virginity Laertes suggests that without it Ophelia would be impure and contaminated. Shakespeare’s constant use of natural images being corrupted, seen here in the “gall[ing of the] spring”, seems symbolic of the systemic corruption seen in “the state of Denamark”. This presentation of virginity and the values discussed would be shared by Shakespeare’s audience. For the Elizabethans a women’s virginity was seen as a sign of purity and innocence, values highly important in 16th century Britain. The importance with which Laertes discusses Ophelia’s virginity and his demand for Ophelia to “fear” Hamlet is a clear attempt to manipulate her against her love. This once again highlights Ophelia’s susceptibility to the men in her life and highlights the way Ophelia is used to destructively further divide the Danish court and augment the sense of systemic corruption. Unlike Hamlet’s metaphysical “antic-disposition”, Ophelia’s madness is presented as a product of supposed female nature. The description of her “spurn[ing] enviously at straws [and] speak[ing] in doubt” presents Ophelia as hysterical – something typically associated with crazed women. Indeed in madness she “sings” explicit sexual references – “baker’s daughter” a symbol of lust and prostitution – and this immediately seems to suggest that in Shakespeare’s time a discussion of female sexuality was reserved for the unhinged and mad. Indeed her madness seems entirely symbolic, by tossing flowers and herbs during her mad ramblings – “there’s rosemary…and there’s pansies” – she symbolically deflowers herself, perhaps alluding to a loss of virginity, and the impurity of character this causes is mirrored by her physical madness. This idea of Ophelia being purely imbued with symbolism would be backed up by Bridget Lyon who wrote, “Ophelia is most persistently presented in terms of symbolic meanings.” She suggests that her character is used by Shakespeare as an emblem and icon of femininity. This is seen particularly during her madness where she parades the stage “sing[ing]” of flowers. Furthermore, her madness seems to be used by Shakespeare to physically display the corruption evident in the Danish court. The devastating effects corruption can cause seem to be embodied by Ophelia as she is driven mad by Polonius’ and Hamlet’s attempts to manipulate and control her. Shakespeare further augments the sense of corruption and drives further divides in the Danish court by using Ophelia’s madness to inspire Laertes to revenge. Laertes’ violent and acerbic “Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye! By heaven, thy madness shall be paid by weight” immediately foreshadows the death and destruction to come. Claudius’ intensely corrupt nature is displayed as he uses Ophelia’s madness to manipulate Laertes into enacting revenge on those responsible for it – “and where th’offence is, let the great axe fall”. It seems clear therefore that Ophelia’s madness is used by Shakespeare to further divide the Danish court and augment the sense of systemic corruption. Finally, it is interesting to note the nature of her death. Her death is announced by Gertrude, “Your sister’s drowned, Laertes”, in act 4 scene 7. Of course “drowned” signifies Ophelia died in water and this is interesting. Drowning can be clearly associated with female fluidity – it is symbolic of tears, traditionally a feminine display of sadness – and it seems fitting Ophelia is killed by a substance as easily manipulated as she was. Indeed, Gertrude’s description of her suicide, elegy even, is filled with beautiful images of “fantastic garlands” and “brook[s] all typically feminine images. This again highlights Ophelia’s superficiality, she is a symbol of femininity and the emblemic nature of her character is again highlighted by her death, surrounded by symbols of femininity – namely water and flowers. This is a point also theorized by phenomenologist Gaston Bachelard who argues that “drowning becomes the truly feminine death in the dramas of literature and life, one which is a beautiful immersion and submersion in the female element” and this is clearly exemplified by Ophelia’s death in water surrounded by symbols of femininity. It is important to note that she dies off stage, her death is not seen as important enough to be visually represented. This immediately suggests that Shakespeare viewed her as a plot device, meant to tear the opposing sides of the Danish court further apart. Not only is she used as a pawn by the characters in the play she is also a practical device used by Shakespeare to drive and move the plot. Furthermore, her death seems to be constantly alluded to as suicide, “she drowned herself in her own defence”. For a Shakespearian audience this would be seen as the ultimate form of corruption, not permissible for a Christian burial (indeed, her funeral is described as “maimed rites” – the priest does not want to conduct the ceremony due to the nature of her death), this suggestion of suicide seems to be another comment on the corrupt nature of the Danish court. Finally, Ophelia’s funeral becomes a battle ground, “[Grappling with him]” – as Laertes and Hamlet fight, this highlights how even in death Ophelia is used to destructively further divide the Danish court. Overall, an exploration of Ophelia’s relationships with her father and her brother immediately highlight her susceptibility to manipulation. This combined with her descent into madness and the treatment of her eventual death quickly highlights how her character is used by Shakespeare to destructively further divide the Danish court and augment the sense of systemic corruption.

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Shakespeare Soars – New York Circus Project’s Hamlet at FringeArts

This week FringeArts will be hosting New York Circus Project’s production of Hamlet. This will be the fifth Shakespeare production I’ve seen this year, and we’re not even into August. Throw your preconceived notions of Shakespeare through a flaming hoop; this show is unlike any other Shakespeare production I’ve seen. This show doesn’t even come close to any other Shakespeare I’ve seen.

I’ve experienced Hamlet performed with minimal liberties taken, and I’ve seen Shakespeare productions that were Shakespeare in name only. The circus performance aimed to tell the story through a new lens. Who is Hamlet performed by a circus project for? The crossover between the two turned out to be more profound than I expected.

The show runs 90 minutes, showcasing both Hamlet and a circus performance, which requires strategic cuts and substantial additions to the core material. There are many things you can cut from Hamlet and still have it remain Hamlet, and then you add aerialists, acrobats, contortionists, hand balancers, and tumblers. Is this even possible? The New York Circus Project has responded with a resounding YES! In their new traveling show, in Philadelphia from July 24-29, they have combined these circus elements with Hamlet, leaving the story easy to follow.

The play as performed by the New York Circus Project is more performance than theatrical experience and encourages the audience to respond. It felt, at times, like a jukebox musical with the rapid and varied musical choices and stylings. The skills and abilities shown by the performers are sensational. Combined with Shakespearian theater, you find elements of well-known characters in this iconic play speaking to you in a new way.

Coming at the beginning of the story, I have never seen a performance of Hamlet’s father quite like this. They were able to express the ghostly, ephemeral nature clearly and powerfully, which helped to move the story. This adaptation of this scene sets a high mark.

The tumbling routines with the full cast were enjoyable and displayed the talent this company has. Their skills and abilities stood on their own, distinct from the Shakespearean elements, and put a circus-shaped stamp on this production. I have never seen the Prince of Denmark deliver lines while standing on the shoulders of another actor.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern did not disappoint. In this production, maybe we should call them “base & flyer.” Here they focused on the light-hearted nature of these characters. As opposed to insincere flatterers, they were a welcome relief in this classic tragedy. They were a gem in the middle of this production.

Ophelia’s prominence grows later in the show at her father’s untimely demise. Again, the circus aspect takes center stage, allowing an expression of Ophelia’s madness in new and interesting ways. They utilize hair hanging to allow Ophelia to express her grief and her descent into madness. She passes out her flowers to the company while suspended. Her death scene is done the way only a contortionist could. The incorporation of moving the play along with choreographed balance and contortion makes this a singular experience.

I’ve never seen a cast of actors with stronger shoulders. They were able to hold up the weight of the canon with aplomb. It is a valiant desire to take on such a well-known work and tell it again. The New York Circus Project’s daring and imaginative approach breathes new life into a timeless tale, proving that even the most familiar stories can surprise and delight us anew. Whether you’re a Shakespeare aficionado or a circus enthusiast, this production offers something for everyone. Don’t miss the chance to see Hamlet like never before – a performance that will leave you pondering the infinite possibilities of storytelling and eagerly anticipating what the New York Circus Project will conquer next.

Find more info about New York Circus Project.

Find your tickets here.

Find more about FringeArts and their events here .

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Opera Australia 2024 Review: Hamlet

(credit: keith saunders).

It was commissioned by and premiered at the Glyndebourne Festival in 2017. Then new cities followed suit every year (apart from the horrid COVID-infected era): Adelaide Festival (2018), a new production in Cologne, Germany (2019), the massive success at the Metropolitan Opera of New York (2022) and the Bavarian State Opera in München (2023). Finally, after seven years, leading Australian composer, Brett Dean’s opera, “Hamlet,” has seen its premiere in the iconic Sydney Opera House, truly a momentous occasion.

Success is an elusive word but the impact of a significant contemporary opera on its audience hinges on several artistic factors: the creation of the text (or libretto) and the music, followed by the staging (apart from the direction, also the costume, set and lightning design), and finally the vocal skills and stagecraft of the singers supported by the orchestra and overseen by the conductor.

All the stars aligned in this case (as they did, reportedly, in all previous productions) and the audience, braving the cold, windy Australian winter night (sic!) was rewarded by a high-octane historical achievement.

Deconstructing Shakespeare

Those who arrived with a solid understanding of Shakespeare’s longest drama, may have been confused very early on, as Hamlet’s first words were: “…or not to be” (citing the play’s Act three soliloquy). Librettist, Matthew Jocelyn, freely reconstructed (or deconstructed?) the original drama, leaving out about eighty percent of the lines and reordering the various scenes, such as the Ghost scene in the opera being immediately followed by the first appearance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Similar liberties, if not to the same extent, were permissible in 19 th -century Shakespeare adaptations, for example when Arrigo Boito penned two brilliant librettos for Verdi’s Otello and Falstaff; at any rate, Jocelyn’s text has its own dramatic arc, which must be respected.

On a few occasions though, overwriting Shakespeare’s proportions and structure did seem to claim some victims. The role of Horatio (sang lovingly by Samuel Dundas) comes to mind: he is Hamlet’s only confidant and close friend, offsetting the prince’s increasing mental disturbance by his consistently reasonable, rather than emotional commentary. In Jocelyn/Dean’s version, he became a peripheral figure with little character and even less lines; therefore, his touchingly poignant farewell to his dying friend in the final minutes of the opera seemed dramatically unprepared.

Inventive Musical Language

Already with his first opera, Bliss (2010), Brett Dean proved himself to be a dramatically focussed, enormously imaginative composer. His operatic style has matured further with the passing years. His writing is both inspired and intellectual, emotive and eloquent. His score demonstrates extremely careful planning in its instrumentation, in the versatile use of compositorial tools and in the composer’s profound understanding of what works well in an operatic environment. The creative use of his chorus, as an active, commenting part of the evolving drama in the large tableaux (there is also a “semi-chorus” employed as a quasi-extension of the orchestra) is beautifully offset by the inventive accompaniment of the play-within-a-play almost entirely by a solo accordion (in James Crabb’s astoundingly accomplished performance).

It would be nigh impossible to form a fully reliable opinion of the merits of this opera based on one single performance. Nonetheless, the near-constant busyness of the score may be overwhelming to many audience members, connoisseur or amateur. Dean regularly employs Sprechstimme (half singing, half speaking with a fixed rhythm) and quarter tones as part of his musical vocabulary. They make his score varied and colourful but less easy to follow or appreciate, begging the question: should a 21 st -century composition consider aesthetic beauty an essential part of its appeal? (There are plenty of examples for an affirmative answer.)

While there are certainly slower and quieter sections in the music (often attached to the role of Ophelia), the dense intensity of the orchestral writing rarely allows for repose, or calmer, introspective moments. In a dramatic work lasting for about three hours, conceived in a mostly atonal musical style, some memorable melodic lines attached to the protagonists would help the listeners to sympathize with and remember them (“Wir arme Leut…!” – sang heartbreakingly Alban Berg’s “Wozzeck” in a very modern opera, albeit almost a hundred years ago), or perhaps, brief, recurring melodic fragments to identify them and their unique personalities (a tool, called Leitmotif, regularly used by opera composers in the past).

Starry Cast

This production, as well as most of the previous ones of the opera featured British tenor, Allan Clayton, as the eponymous prince. His all-round splendid concept and performance alone was well worth the entry fee. Being supremely comfortable with Dean’s complex writing, he articulated and sang his lines with clarity and conviction, relying on his excellent stage presence, warm tone and attractive vibrato. He began the opera as a shadowy black ghost walking around at the pompous party celebrating the new king and his (Hamlet’s, that is) mother’s nuptials, a subtle nod to his father, the “real” Ghost of the play.

Both the King (Rod Gilfry) and his new wife, Gertrude (Catherine Carby) were reassuringly confident singing their parts. Their portrayal of this calculating, power hungry pair was not entirely convincing though. For such a villainous character as Claudius, Gilfry’s movements were too timorous, and his voice would have benefited from more authority. Carby was a late and brave replacement for a cast member sadly deceased, which might explain the limited expression in her voice and body language. Jud Arthur’s stately bass gave nobility to the role of the Ghost of old Hamlet and some comic relief in the somewhat underwhelming Yorick scene.

Not many would think of the vile character of Polonius as comical, yet Kanen Breen emphasised many, almost parodistic gestures in his forming of the counsellor to the new king. Similarly to the rest of the cast, his preparation and presentation of his difficult part was thorough, though with an erratic, conniving father like him, it would be hard not to empathise with the many problems that his children, Ophelia and Laertes, faced.

As Laertes, Nicholas Jones made the most of the innocent victim of Claudius’s murderous manipulation, growing into near-hero status in the excellently choreographed sword fight at the end.

The role of Ophelia was famously written with soprano, Barbara Hannigan, world-wide expert of contemporary opera, in mind. Her part is, accordingly, fiendishly difficult, making the work of all later Ophelia’s maddeningly trying (pun intended). Lorina Gore had already proven herself as the Adelaide Festival’s Ophelia, and now she reprised that role. In Act one, she seemed to be hesitant in pitch and expression, but her great scene at the beginning of Act two was fully convincing.

The odd couple of this drama, the King’s bumbling spies, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, were performed by Russell Harcourt and Christopher Lowrey (the latter having already sang the part at Glyndebourne and the Metropolitan Opera). Bearing considerable similarities to the comical nieces in Britten’s “Peter Grimes,” they continually repeated and imitated each other, being highly ineffective, and like most other protagonists, ended up dead. Their parts, as yet another inspired idea by the composer, were written for countertenor voices. This worked excellently when only the two of them were singing but seemed less powerful in ensembles.

The orchestra was impressively prepared and the chorus sang with aplomb and remarkable accuracy; nowhere with near as much conviction as at the opening of Act two (people’s power: “Laertes shall be king!”, another strong resonance with Peter Grimes). That scene, with the chorus lining up on the sides of the auditorium next to the seated audience, was just one of the many imaginatively conceived ideas of Australian director, Neil Armfield, in charge since the Glyndebourne premiere and for most later productions. His directorial work proved (does it have to be proven?) that great acting can go hand in hand with terrific singing on an opera stage. Amongst set designer, Ralph Myers’s effortlessly moving massive walls and in costume designer, Alice Babidge’s timeless eveningwear, every movement and every gesture made good theatrical sense in this production. Sadly rare on an operatic stage, humorous elements kept lightening up the drama and the flow of the action never ceased to be eye-catching.

High accolades are due to the last but certainly not least essential member of the creative team. Tim Anderson, conducting Dean’s complex score for the first time, stood assuredly in front of the large performing forces. Not only did he give precise indications for the difficult entries to all, but he kept the stream of the music elegantly, never failing to manage the intricate balances between stage and orchestra allowing the Dane prince’s story to evolve and Dean’s music to shine, creating a momentous occasion indeed.

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