Why did Ophelia kill herself?
Had she the license to think for herself, Ophelia might have reasoned through her dilemma, but, caught as she is between her father’s and brother’s restrictive instructions and Hamlet’s crushing demands, trapped as she is in a choice-less existence, Ophelia has no alternative but to throw herself into the river to …
What does Ophelia’s death symbolize in the play?
Ophelia’s death symbolizes a life spent passively tolerating Hamlet’s manipulations and the restrictions imposed by those around her, while struggling to maintain the last shred of her dignity. Her apparent suicide denotes a desire to take control of her life for once.
Why did Ophelia go crazy?
Ophelia goes mad because her father, Polonius, whom she deeply loved, has been killed by Hamlet. The fact that this grief drives Ophelia to madness reveals her overwhelming feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness, and the power that the men in Ophelia’s life wield over her.
Who is to blame for Ophelia’s death?
Gertrude
How many deaths is Hamlet responsible for?
By the end of the tragedy, Hamlet has caused the deaths of Polonius, Laertes, Claudius, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two acquaintances of his from childhood. He is also indirectly involved in the deaths of his love Ophelia (drowning) and of his mother Gertrude (poisoned by Claudius by mistake).
Who would Fardels bear to grunt and sweat?
who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscover’d country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of?
What is a bare bodkin?
i.e., a mere dagger. Bodkin was a Renaissance term used to describe many different sharp instruments, but it makes the most sense here to assume Shakespeare meant a dagger.
Who would Fardels?
For many people, it will instantly bring to mind Hamlet’s famous To be or not to be soliloquy: “Who would fardels bear, / To grunt and sweat under a weary life, / But that the dread of something after death …”.
What does who would Fardels bear mean?
In the quote, “fardels” is another word for burdens. Hamlet is asking why anyone would bear the burdens of a long and weary life full of suffering and toil.
Who says Thus conscience does make cowards?
Hamlet
What does when he himself might his quietus make with a bare bodkin mean?
What does Hamlet mean by “When he himself might his quietus make / with bare bodkin” (lines 83–84)? By “his quietus make” (line 83), Hamlet means “settle one’s account,” or ends one’s life. In other words, Hamlet contemplates suicide in these lines.
What does the dread of something after death do?
What does “the dread of something after death” do (line 86)? “[T]he dread of something after death” (line 86) confuses people or “puzzles the will” (line 88), and keeps people from taking action.
Is Hamlet afraid of dying?
Of course Hamlet is afraid of death that is why he is incapable of doing anything. Sons were expected to help and look after their family as daughters were essentially prevented from doing so, he had a job to do and her wasn’t doing it. But to give him a break he was a more challenging time.
What does Hamlet believe about death?
In the beginning of his soliloquy, Hamlet views death as a peaceful liberation from the never-ending agony and constant battery of troubles in life. Through diction, syntax, and figurative language, it is evident that Hamlet’s conception of death as a calm and peaceful slumber makes him prone to suicidal feelings.
What does the soliloquy reveal about Hamlets character?
This soliloquy is the start of Hamlet’s depression and anger towards his uncle and his mother’s disloyalty. Hamlet is severely upset about all the new changes in his life that he deliberates suicide; although he knows he cannot do that the thought is still there.
What does a soliloquy mean?
1 : the act of talking to oneself. 2 : a poem, discourse, or utterance of a character in a drama that has the form of a monologue or gives the illusion of being a series of unspoken reflections. Soliloquy vs.
What concerns does Hamlet reveal in his first soliloquy?
Hamlet acquiesces without enthusiasm. Satisfied that they have had their way, Claudius and Gertrude leave Hamlet to his own thoughts. In his first soliloquy, Hamlet bemoans the fact that he cannot commit suicide.
Why is King Hamlet in Purgatory?
When King Hamlet meets his son, he explains that he is trapped in purgatory because of the crimes he committed in life: ”I am thy father’s spirit.
How do you know that Hamlet thinks highly of Horatio?
Hamlet thinks very highly of Horatio and admires that he is a master of his own emotions. He asks him to keep a close eye on the king during the play to see if he reacts to the storyline that so closely parallels his own story.