ACT 4:
Initial Reaction:
Initial I thought this part of the play was a little slow
and didn’t have a real purpose until the end with Ophelia. I think that it says
something that Hamlet was just playing crazy and he made his love interest go
crazy from his actions.
Character Analysis:
Ophelia was a supporting
character who was there to further along the idea of Hamlet being crazy.
Without her in the play it would be hard to see the distinct contrast of
Hamlets actions from pretending to be crazy when he was really sane. She was an
important part of getting her father to the room where Hamlet killed him and
becomes a significant character as she starts to lose touch with reality.
Theme Analysis:
In this act the theme that stands out the most is
love/Family. It was all about Ophelia going crazy due to the loss of her father
and her brother wanting to have revenge on Hamlet for his actions. The theme of
this is most present when Laertes states:
O heavens, is’t possible a young maid’s wits
Should be as mortal as an old man’s life?
Nature is fine in love, and where’ tis fine,
It send some precious instance of itself
After the thing it loves. (4.5.159-164)
He is clearly concerned with the state of his sister and it
shows how family bonds can drive someone insane leaving others to wonder how
the person go to that state.
I agree that Laertes really did genuinely love his sister Ophelia, and showed it unlike Gertrude showing her love for Hamlet as a mother or should I say not showing her love for him.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Ophilia tends to know what she is doing and what she is talking about like how she used the flowers where as Hamlet talks in nonsense witty responses that take the characters on a loop. my question is was it really necessary for him to pretend he was crazy to kill polonius?
ReplyDeleteI totally think that Ophelia and Hamlet know what they are doing they just both have different ways of coping with it and that could lead into a common theme of gender roles in this act. I agree with you about the love/family theme, if it would have not been for the family love that both daughter, Ophelia and son, Hamlet had for their parents they wouldn't be acting the way they did for their parents death.
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