Hamlet's_Destruction_of_Ophelia

Notes: - Ophelia stands up for herself while Gertrude is passive and cannot do things on her own. - Ophelia is powerless in the eyes of Polonius – II,ii,160 - Ophelia is told to go to a nunnery because she has “sinned” so much – III, i, 121-122 - Even though she is rejected, Ophelia praises hamlet and describes him as “the perfect renaissance man” III,I, 153-156 - Polonius thinks Gertrude is the only one who can get the truth from Hamlet - III, i, 184-187. - Gertrude cannot keep Hamlet’s secret of his craziness - Ophelia obeys Polonius even though she loves Hamlet – II, i, 109-111 Plan of Development Thesis: Ophelia and Gertrude have no one to love but the men around them and by this love, they feel the need to follow orders blindly. However, the ways that the building expectations and pressures are handled, differ completely. Paragraph 1: Gertrude and Ophelia are controlled not only by the men, but by their love for them also. Paragraph 2: Ophelia and Gertrude are mistreated and expected to do nothing about their powerlessness to the men. Paragraph 3: The women’s actions to salvage what was left of their lives are dramatically different. The pressures and the expectations that women were to meet are dealt with between Ophelia and Gertrude, quite oppositely. Ophelia and Gertrude have no one to love but the men around them and by this love, they feel the need to follow orders and have no say. However, the ways that the building expectations and pressures are handled, differ completely.