Here we are, Act 4 of The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. One thing lead to another and Ophelia (Hamlet's ex-girlfriend) went a little off the rails and died. The whole dying bit was mostly contributed to the fact that her ex-boyfriend was supposedly crazy, that she supposedly was the cause of said craziness, and that her father was not-so supposedly dead.
Yeah, we've gotten to that part of a Shakespearean play where everyone starts dropping like flies.
The final moments of Ophelia went a little something like this: After she went around giving people flowers and singing and having a psychotic breakdown, our main gal decided to take a trip to a willow next to a nearby brook. There, as she was trying to hang flowers from the willow, she fell over and into the water below. She was alright for a few moments before her clothing filled with water and pulled her down and effectively drowned her. It is also noted that when Ophelia fell in she made no move to save herself or even try to get out of the water, instead just sinking in- completely uncaring towards the danger she was in.
What's also interesting is that this is one of the few deaths in the play that isn't specifically acted out in text. Instead, the audience (plus Claudius and Laertes) is informed of the death through Gertrude, who enters the room explaining what has happened to the shocked men. A non-on-screen death is a fate shared by Guildenstern and Rosencrantz who are also proclaimed to be dead by the end of the play, but that's a story for another time.
Instead of the usual analysis of Ophelia, her madness, and her death, we will be reflecting on Ophelia through the unique means of a eulogy that would be delivered at her funeral. I, your esteemed blog-owner, will be writing this eulogy completely through the use of first person voice. I won't be giving myself a specific character, nor will I be the priest, and will try to keep this eulogy as personal and heartfelt without making a completely new character out of it. Through these means, I shall be indirectly conveying my thoughts and feelings towards Ophelia's death and how I feel her character needs to be conveyed in her final moments on Earth and in the minds of both the real-life audience and the audience within the play.
So without further ado, here is a eulogy for late Ophelia.
Ophelia was the loved one of many. Friends, family, we are gathered here today to remember the life of a woman who endured much in her young life but lived that life with compassion and to the fullest none the less. Born to the late Polonius, Ophelia was a not only a fine daughter but a loving sister to her brother Laertes. No matter how much they asked of her, she would go above and beyond her family's requests of her and asked for nothing in return. This is the image of Ophelia that her family will always cherish when they remember her in their prayers.
And while the fair Ophelia was indeed the caring and wonderful daughter and sister, she was also the once equally loving companion of our lord Prince Hamlet. Their love was sweet, as the letters and gifts show us now, but cut brief only because of Ophelia's duty to the crown and to her country. After discussing the relationship with her family, Ophelia sacrificed her love for Lord Hamlet in order to let our prince pursue relationships and marriages that would be for the better of his lordship and the royal bloodline itself. It was in itself a noble cause and worthy of only the highest respect, as she valued the needs of her loved one and his people over the needs of herself and their love.
Alas, the losses in her life lead to a tragic end. She was a victim of circumstance, as she could not have predicted the madness of her prince or the death of her father. Her emotions lead over her mind as her mourning grew to an alarming degree. It was this depression that did not allow her to think properly and save her life, and for that she was not in any way guilty of the offense that is suicide. This is not the Ophelia we must remember, for this was the image of a woman in pain- and let no one tell us that pain is the only aspect that defines a person.
When I think of Ophelia, the only image that comes to mind is that of a young maiden who's passion and heart were what made her who she was. Even in her unwell state, she still tried to present those around her with gifts of remembrance and thought, and instead of bringing those around her down, she attempted to be in what her mind was well. Her death only proves to me that we should cherish what we are given in life, as it can all be taken away within the blink of an eye.
-Chrislynn Idis
P.S. I apologize for the shorter post. The goal is to make the people cry, not put them to sleep.
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