Hamlet and Ophelia's Relationship Minus the Theme of Revenge

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Hamlet and Ophelia’s Relationship Minus the Theme of Revenge In every interpretation of Hamlet, the main theme always boils down to revenge. Revenge triggers all the key elements of the narrative from beginning to end; Hamlet’s apparent madness, Ophelia’s insanity and the death of essentially all the characters. Take all this away however and what are you left with? A blossoming romance between a moral prince and a fair maiden. From Ophelia’s first scene its clear there is a level of affection and connection between the two protagonists. While his father was alive, Hamlet ‘hath of late made many tenders of his affection’ towards Ophelia in the form of love letters and gifts. Despite Ophelia never really being able to reveal her true feelings due to the high level of male control that dictates her every move, it’s obvious that she is deeply in love with Hamlet, shown in her heartbreak and despair after Hamlet’s treatment of her in Act 3, Scene 1. Their relationship seems onset to become a royal wedding until the Ghost. The Ghost of Hamlet’s father sets the revenge plot into motion, pushing the blooming romance aside to a subplot. Once Hamlet has been appointed to the master of revenge, he immediately begins to withdraw his affection from Ophelia. At the same time, Ophelia’s owners – her father and brother, have ordered her to reject Hamlet’s advances and protect her ‘chaste treasure’. As this rejection, however, takes place in a closet scene an ambiguity is create as to whether Hamlet is indeed hurt or is using her and rejection as a device to expose his madness. The common theory is that Hamlet could be using Ophelia’s rejection as a means of making his madness appear genuine and setting his revenge plan into motion. Nonetheless, it’s clear the two characters have had a high connection, evident in their first scene together. Hamlet picks up on the difference

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