Shakespeare presents Ophelia in Hamlet as nothing more than a reflection of societal gender restrictions. This is shown in Ophelia`s easily manipulated and innocent nature which Shakespeare seems to think is indicative of a woman`s nature. Ophelia is often taken advantage of by the male characters of the play. She isn`t useful until a man needs her, and when she is no longer of any use, her mental suffering is disregarded and ignored.
The manipulation of Ophelia by various male characters in the play leads to her madness. Lynn woods argued that Ophelia is passive, almost to the point of non-existence, This could suggest that Ophelia lacks dimension as a Character and therefore she is an easily manipulated character. The quotation By Gis and by Saint Charity, Alack, and fie for shame! Young men will don't if they come to 't: By cock, they are to blame. Quoth she, Before you tumbled me, you promised me to wed. Suggests that the disturbing language that she uses as she sings is a result of Patriarchal oppression that was inflicted on her due to her role in societal gender restrictions. By cock, they are to blame could signify that Ophelia is becoming her own person, free from societal gender restrictions, and her awareness of the nature of Elizabethan men is shown in this quote, however, you could argue that Ophelia has been provided insight through her madness, claiming Hamlet to be a promiscuous or simply flighty man who promises love or Cock but backs out after a brief time. Ophelia`s madness in act 4 brings a sense of awareness to the manipulation, however, her flowery madness covers up her awareness, much like Hamlet`s own madness, although Hamlet`s madness is presented as intelligently calculated and Ophelia`s madness is presented as inevitable state of an Elizabethan woman`s nature. Ophelia becomes aware of how manipulative Hamlet has been, and much like Hamlet generalizes the nature of the opposite gender to protect herself from taking responsibility. The manipulation that Ophelia is subjected to often protects Ophelia from taking control of her own life, she is often seen giving it to someone else. Ophelia claims, they are to blame which is indicative of how much power Ophelia has over her own self, which is not very much. The quotes they are to blame and Before you tumbled me, you promised me to wed, suggest that Ophelia`s madness comes from the bitterness of unrequited love which a man is responsible for. This part of the song signifies a man who has left his lover in bed, which could highlight the desertion that Ophelia feels but also the lack of accountability that Ophelia has for the part she played in her own heartbreak. The play was written in the first years of the 17th century, which was one of the periods in history where female oppression was the social norm of this period. Women were living in a very Patriarchal society, which often meant that a woman`s character, actions, and decisions were swayed by a man`s desire. This meant responsibility and accountability were also things that belonged to a man. Ophelia`s madness reflects societal gender restrictions which exclude Ophelia from any responsibility.
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Shakespeare presents Ophelia`s death as liberating for Ophelia`s innocent and manipulated character. Gaston Bachelard suggests that drowning is the truly feminine death in literature. The act of suicide is a sin in Protestantism, as highlighted in Hamlet`s soliloquy to be or not to be, so this suggests that Ophelia`s death was not just an act of madness, but a calculated way of freeing herself from societal gender restrictions. Gertrude claims that Ophelia Chanted snatches of old tunes as one incapable of her own distress. This suggests Ophelia didn`t know what was happening to her due to the state of her mental health, which highlights the lack of responsibility and power women had during the renaissance. Shakespeare presents Ophelia`s death as the death of a life spent passively tolerating Hamlet`s manipulations and restrictions imposed by the various male characters in the play while struggling to maintain her own sense of identity and dignity. Ophelia's nonchalant reaction when she drowned suggests that she was never in control of her own life, she was supposed to conform to the expectations of others. Letting the water consume her without a fight implies that Hamlet considers Ophelia just a device in his personal agenda. Her suicide shows her desire to take back control of her life. Ophelia's death was an honorable death, characterized by her willingness to let go of her submissive, worldly self and leave the world as a survivor of her suffering, and not a victim. The religious perspective on Ophelia`s death was that she had sinned against God and against the church. Christians believe that Only God has the power to take life away, which implies that women should put all their decisions and power into a man`s hand, which Ophelia rejects with her suicide. Claudius grants Ophelia a Christian burial due to her wealthy position, but also to protect himself from Laertes. Even in death, Shakespeare presents Ophelia as a pawn in a man`s scheme. The word incapable suggests that it is not a woman`s nature to take control of her own emotions, but rather to be a submissive person in society. Death towards the women in the play is used as a liberating device that frees them from societal burdens that were not going to change with life. The death of the men in the play was a result of actions that they needed to take responsibility for. With Ophelia`s death, so did the responsibility that she needed to take for her own heartbreak and madness. Ophelia`s death was overshadowed by Hamlet and Laertes, who were fighting about who loved Ophelia more, 'I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers Could not with all their quantity of love Make up my sum', this perpetuates the idea that no one truly cares until you`re dead, a concept often exercised in Shakespeare`s plays such as Othello and Romeo and Juliet.
Shakespeare presents Ophelia as being oppressed by her gender in the play, yet she is not just a reflection of societal gender restrictions, for it is she herself who directly criticizes the restrictions imposed upon her, lending her a greater degree of agency than initially perceived. Her death is what actively frees Ophelia from patriarchal oppression and gives her more honor in death than she did in life. Shakespeare`s Ophelia develops as a character, from an easily manipulated and innocent woman to a rebellious and self-aware woman, which contrasts with the women of the Elizabethan era and the renaissance. Religion catered to the position of women during the renaissance and throughout the play.
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