This document contains a multigenre character study of Ophelia from Hamlet. It includes 14 sections with quotes or passages from Hamlet related to Ophelia along with analysis and images to represent each quote. The analysis and images provide insight into Ophelia's thoughts, feelings, and relationship with Hamlet at different points in the play.

1. OpheliaCasey BauerMarch 9, 2010Multigenre Character Study

2. Ophelia:Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,Whiles, like a puff' d and reckless libertine,Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,And reaks not his own rede.Act 1, Scene 3This picture is of an extravagant staircase leading up to the tower of a castle. The stairs are steep, much like the way to heaven, and they represent the primrose path. The primrose path is one of luxury and elegance , much like the stairs. Lastly, I chose the stairs because they twist on themselves much like Ophelia turning and telling Laertes to heed his own advice and to avoid the lifestyle of the “rich and famous.”

4. Ophelia: O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! The courtier's, scholar's, soldier's, eye, tongue, sword, The expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mould of form, The observed of all observers, quite, quite down! And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That suck'd the honey of his music vows,Now see that noble and most sovereign reason, Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh; That unmatch'd form and feature of blown youth Blasted with ecstasy. O, woe is me, To have seen what I have seen, see what I see! Act 3, Scene 1Here Ophelia had just finished talking with Hamlet and he repeatedly told her to “get thee to a nunn’ry.” She feels that Hamlet is mad and that Denmark has lost a great man, so much so that the other men of the land would have done well to copy him. She is mourning his loss and feels bad for herself as well. That is why I picked the picture of Eeyore. He is always down or sad when it’s not his fault and he tends to feel bad for himself.

6. Hamlet:I did love you once.Ophelia:Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.Hamlet:You should not have believ'd me, for virtue cannot soinoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I lov'd younot.Ophelia:I was the more deceiv'd.Act 3, Scene 1In this quote, Hamlet calls Ophelia a fool for believing that he ever loved her (even though he really did). His reasoning for doing this is so that she will not be hurt in his quest for vengeance. That is why I chose the picture of Batman. He was unable to be with anyone for fear of them being hurt and he lied to the city about who he really was, just like Hamlet lied about the reason for his madness.

8. ♥Hamlet’s Letter to Ophelia:Doubt thou the stars are fire;Doubt that the sun doth move;Doubt truth to be a liar;But never doubt I love.Act 2, Scene 2This quote is a excerpt from a letter from Hamlet to Ophelia. It confesses his great love to her and tells her to never doubt it. It is true love. I picked this photo of love written in Braille because it symbolizes love is blind, but you just have to believe in it and that it’s real.

10. Ophelia:Lord, we know what we are, but not what wemay be.Act 4, Scene 5In this quote, even though she is mad, Ophelia is wise. She says we know who we are, but there is no telling where we will go or what we will become. The future is uncertain. The picture I chose, I feel represents this well. The rest of the picture is blurry representing uncertainty, while the plant is clear representing life.

12. Gertrude:Sweets to the sweet: farewell!I hop’d thou shouldst have been my Hamlet’swife;I thought thy bride-bed to have deck’d, sweetmaid,And not have stew’d thy grave.Act 5, Scene 1Here, Queen Gertrude is laying flowers on Ophelia’s grave and saying goodbye. She says that she had hoped that her and Hamlet would be wed, but she is sad that did not happen. The picture I chose is of flowers falling. They could be either onto the bed or the grave, but because they look almost dead one would assume it is the grave. The flowers are the sweets to the sweet.

14. Ophelia (singing):To-morrow is Saint Valentine ’s Day,All in the morning betime,And I a maid at your window,To be your Valentine.Then up he rose, and donn’d his clothes,And dupp’d the chamber-door;Let in the maid, that out a maid Never departed more.Act 4, Scene 5In this passage, Ophelia is singing a song. The song is about her relationship with Hamlet. She thought they would be together forever, but one night, in her eyes, she leaves her alone in her bed and never comes back again. I chose this picture because the little girl is a lot like Ophelia and the girl represents innocence much like love. Unfortunately, the girl is all alone, just like the love between Hamlet and Ophelia was abandoned and left alone.

16. Hamlet:I lov’d Ophelia: forty thousand brothersCould not, with all their quantity of love, Make up my sum.Act 5, Scene 1Hamlet has happened upon the burial of Ophelia. He can no longer stand to watch behind the trees, so he appears to the whole procession. This is his reply when Laertes attacks him. Even though Hamlet jumped back and forth throughout the play about whether or not he truly loved Ophelia, I believed he did. That is why I chose this picture. This love is so true and innocent; there is nothing to complicate it.

18. Ophelia:There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray,love, remember: and there is pansies. That’s forthoughts…There’s fennel for you, and columbines: there’s ruefor you; and here’s some for me: we may call itherb-grace o’Sundays: O you must wear your rue with a difference. There’s a daisy: I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my fatherdied: they say he made good end, -Act 4, Scene 5In this part, Ophelia is crazy. She is handing out flowers to everyone and each flower holds significance. I chose this photo because it is a lovely Celtic garden. Even though it is beautiful, there is still some danger to it. This translates to Ophelia’s beauty, but her danger is her madness.

20. Laertes:Thought and affliction, passion, hell itself,She turns to favour and to prettiness.Act 4, Scene 5With this quote, Laertes is describing the current situation as well as what is going on with his sister. I chose a black rose for this because of the rose’s beauty and it preference over other flowers, but also because of the black signifies affliction and passion.

22. Never ThinkI should never thinkWhat's in your heartWhat's in our homeSo I won'tYou'll learn to hate meBut still call me babyOh loveSo call me by my nameAnd save your soulSave your soulBefore you're to far goneBefore nothing can be doneI'll try to decide whenShe'll lie in the endI ain't got no fight in meIn this whole damn worldSo hold offShe should hold offIt's the one thing that I've knownOnce I put my coat onI'm coming out in this all wrongShe's standing outside holding meSaying "Oh please, I'm in love, I'm in love!"Girl save your soulGo on save your soulBefore it's to far goneAnd before nothing can be doneCause without meYou got it allSo hold onWithout me you got it allSo hold onWithout me you got it allWithout me you got it allSo hold onWithout me you got it allSo hold onWithout me you got it allSo hold on.

23. Thunder Storms by: Colleen WrightThe day changed from sunshine into darkand from your place a light began to spark.You dined on morsels of food, and sipped wine.Oh, such a glorious life, surely it is almost divine.Thunder and storms are coming this waytherefore to you kind Sir, I now must say, 'Goodnight good friend with a pure heart, sleep soundly, as from this page I depart'The day changed from sunshine into darkand from your place a light began to spark.You dined on morsels of food, and sipped wine.Oh, such a glorious life, surely it is almost divine.Thunder and storms are coming this waytherefore to you kind Sir, I now must say, 'Goodnight good friend with a pure heart, sleep soundly, as from this page I depart'