Differing Views on Ophelia's Behavior

Joan Montgomery Byles posits that Ophelia's actions in "Ophelia's Desperation" are shaped by the men in her life - her father, brother, and lover. Conversely, Sandra K. Fischer contends in "Ophelia's Mad Speeches" that Ophelia is mainly grieving her father's death and cannot break free from male influence. These two authors present differing analyses of Ophelia's behavior.

These analyses present contrasting views on Ophelia's mental breakdown and death. One perspective attributes her descent into madness to the loss of her father, while the other blames the controlling actions of the men around her.

In conclusion, Byles's interpretation appears to be more precise.

Fischer and Byles offer differing perspectives on Ophelia's mental state following her father's death. Fischer suggests that Ophelia's madness may be a result of her loss, rather than repressed emotions towards the men in her life, while Byles argues that she was heavily reliant on male figures.

The play supports Fischer’s view by depicting Ophelia's true madness in Act IV, scene V, lines 29 – 32.

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She sings “He is dead and gone, lady, He is dead and gone; At his head a grass-green turf, At his heels a stone,” clearly showing her grief over her deceased father. Ophelia's madness may be linked to his death as she continues to sing about him and express her desire for his soul to rest in peace throughout the play. She also discusses his death with her brother.

Even though Fischer disagrees with Byles, he argues that Ophelia's madness is rooted in her lifelong reliance on men and her hidden resentment towards them.

Throughout the play, Ophelia is constantly silenced and never allowed to voice her own thoughts or beliefs, obediently following the orders of the male characters without hesitation. The text presents numerous examples of her submissive behavior and dependence on the men in her life.

Byles notes that Ophelia is fearful of her father and unable to freely express her emotions, a sentiment which proves true in the play. In her first scenes, Ophelia speaks with Laertes and Polonius regarding Hamlet, with both men warning her to avoid him due to his reputation. It is clear that Ophelia harbors romantic feelings for Hamlet.

During Act I, scene IV of the play, Ophelia asserts that Hamlet has shown his love for her in a proper way and has made sincere promises. However, Polonius rejects her defense and argues that Hamlet is too young to comprehend his own feelings.

In Act I, scene IV of Shakespeare's play, Polonius warns Ophelia not to believe Hamlet's insincere promises and advises her to stay away from him. Despite her love for Hamlet, Ophelia agrees to obey her father's warning, demonstrating loyalty over her feelings. (Line 135)

Ophelia's fear of the men around her is evident when Hamlet corners her in her closet, causing her to exclaim, “O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!” (Act II, scene I, line 74). She then recounts the incident to her father, prompting Polonius to question, “Mad for they love?” (Act II, scene I, line 83). It is clear to Ophelia why Hamlet is fixated on her, as she discusses how she followed Polonius's instructions by rejecting Hamlet's letters and refusing him access to her.

Byles points out that Ophelia lacks genuine communication skills with others in the play, leading to her accumulating anger and resentment. She yearns to have her own voice but is consistently silenced. An illustration of this is when Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet berating Ophelia for disgracing him, calling her names and telling her to seek refuge in a nunnery.

After Hamlet's outburst and departure, Ophelia is able to reflect on the situation and have her own small soliloquy to make sense of his words. This marks a shift in Ophelia's character as she begins to feel guilty and question her actions, realizing that things could have been different if her father had not been involved.

Byles believes Ophelia's death is the ultimate expression of her repressed anger and aggression. It is her way of making her voice heard, revealing her inner turmoil to those around her. Before her death, no one saw the depth of her suffering. Instead of directing her anger at those who caused it, she turned it inward, as she felt she was the only one who truly listened to her.

Both analyses of Hamlet’s Ophelia contradict each other and offer different explanations for her behavior. While both discuss Ophelia’s madness and its causes, they approach it from different perspectives within the play. While each analysis is valid in its own right, they do not align with each other and present differing sides of the story. Each analysis has its own interpretation of why Ophelia became the way she did.

Byles's analysis of Ophelia is more intriguing and original, with fewer comments from other articles and a focus on Ophelia's motivations. The theory that Ophelia's dependency on the men in her life ultimately led to her inability to handle the pressure of their expectations is seen as more plausible than attributing her suicide solely to her father's death.