What is love? This is an age-old question that has been debated and discussed time and time again. Corinthians 13 tells us that, among other things, love is patient and kind. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, on first glance, Hamlet’s love for Ophelia is neither patient nor kind. In spite of this, throughout the play it is evident that Hamlet truly loved Ophelia and that she was important to him through the letters he sent her, how he responds to her when they are alone, his reaction to her betrayal, and his declaration of love at her funeral.
In the play, Hamlet really shows that he loves Ophelia. An example of Hamlet’s love for Ophelia is the letters he sends to her. One line Hamlet writes for her is: Never doubt I love (2.2.127) He says that even though everything else around her might be true, his love for her is real. This is the one time before Ophelia’s death where he reveals his true feelings to her. This could be because of the fact that once Ophelia had received the letter, she gave it to her father.
Let me count the ways.” (Line 1 Sonnet 43) The use of first person, authenticates that both poems are written for a personal response, this however cannot be seen in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ apart from when the characters speak. The use of alliteration in ‘Sonnet 43’, confirms that the poem was written for Browning’s lover. The repetition of “I love thee...” Shows it’s a personal poem for her true love. However, ‘Valentine’ could be interpreted as an open poem to allow the readers to understand the experiences Duffy has faced. The use of “...we are, for as long as we are.” (Line 16 and 17) Shows that Duffy is inviting her readers into the poem to help reflect upon how she feels.
Claudius and Gertrude’s love relationship is seen as incest by Hamlet, while Horatio and Hamlet’s friendship is a good friendship because Horatio is someone that Hamlet trust and can depend on for anything. Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship is one that is not accepted by her family because Hamlet is from royalty and Ophelia is not and because of this Polonius warns Ophelia about Hamlet. To everyone it seems as if Hamlet is just using Ophelia for sexual pleasure and nothing more. “Tis told me he hath very oft late/ Given private time to you, and you yourself/ Have of your audience been most free and/ Bounteous. If it be so (as so’tis put on me, / And that in way of caution), I must tell you/ You do not understand yourself so clearly/ As it behooves my daughter and your honor.”(I, iii, 99-106) Even Ophelia’s brother and father warn her about Hamlet, and how he may be using her but she does not listen because she is in love with Hamlet and does not believe he would use her.
Manuela Romero Belalcázar Foil Characters in Hamlet Hamlet is one of the most famous and influential characters throughout literature. Hamlet is unique due to his meditative and enigmatic nature. Throughout Hamlet, the contrast that foil characters provide, allows many of Hamlet’s distinct characteristics to become visible. Shakespeare displays the difference between Hamlet’s actions and those of Laertes’ and Fortinbrass’. Even in similar circumstances, Hamlet has a different approach than the other two foil characters to his father’s death.
He personificates the earth, giving the term of swallowing and engulfing something – a reference to death as we turn into earth after we die . Although at the beginning of Much Ado About Nothing Leonato does not openly express his feelings for Hero, he does later say ‘why ever wast thou lovely in my eyes’ after she has disobeyed his, showing that before (at the beginning of the play) she was always lovely to him. Shakespeare infers the way he saw and thought of her was pleasant. This could also be seen as her appearance, she always looked lovely, a common way women were seen during the Elizabethan era; a patriarchal society.
Hamlet is dominated by an emotion which is inexpressible, because it is in excess of the facts as they appear.... We should have to understand things which Shakespeare did not understand himself." T.S. Eliot (Hamlet and His Problems) In the play Hamlet [Titles] by William Shakespeare the cast of main characters use the support given to them by the foils to enhance the play. A foil is a minor character who by simulations [?] and differences reveals character, and who, as an element of plot, is there for the more important character to talk to (vevra [sic] ).
Trusting Horatio In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Horatio is left with a task of sharing the truth of all the unfortunate events that have taken place throughout the play, since he is the only one left alive. The question arises as to if Horatio is qualified and trustworthy enough to tell the story without having to change things up. Even though Horatio is not present as much, he proves himself to be levelheaded, courageous, trustworthy, and always keeps his word which allows the reader to only assume that he would definitely not change up the story Hamlet has asked him to share with everyone. Hamlet is a play that takes place in Denmark. The king, Hamlet’s father, has died and Claudius, his uncle, has married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude,
Melizabeth Garcia November 23, 2011 AP Literature In the beginning of Act III, the King and Queen are discussing Hamlet’s behavior with his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The court is wondering why Hamlet is so depressed and behaving strangely. Claudius and Polonius plan on spying on Ophelia and Hamlet’s conversation. Hamlet is contemplating whether to kill himself or to live and face the consciences. Shakespeare’s use of word choice and imagery show Hamlet’s thoughts on the vitality of life and worthiness of life and Shakespeare also shows how Hamlet is more intelligent then what people take him to be.
In Elizabethan society, women had to obey their fathers in choosing their future husbands, but we have to realize that Olivia is free to choose her man, because he has no father and no brother. This is a clear innovation which Shakespeare uses to make Olivia feel free, which will be very useful as a literary device to make the plot of the comedy more complicated, and to make Orsino insist to get her favour. In the beginning of the play (Act 1, scene i) we see Duke Orsino listening to his court, which is playing music. He first asks for more music to fill himself with love to feel totally depressed. In this scene music must be interpreted as our emotions; so Orsino wants to find a cure to his depression, and maybe through an excess of love (music) he can kill it.