Hamlet blog #2

Ophelia is a character that many can relate to. She is torn between love and reality. She wants to believe that Hamlet has true intentions, just like the man she's always dreamed of. She sees him as a perfect man who wants to take her hand in marriage. Ophelia's father and brother both believe that Hamlet is a sexual predator out looking to steal her virginity and then release her back into the wild. Although her father and brother have expressed their concerns with Hamlet to Ophelia, Ophelia has chosen to pick love over reality. Ophelia becomes delusional and is driven by lust. She is a very sad character, she's a hopeless romantic which drives all of her actions. She wants to make her father happy by being the perfect wife who remains loyal to her duties, but also wants to find true happiness. This is why many can relate to Ophelia. Hamlet on the other hand represents your typical high school boy seeking pleasure without feelings. It is sad to see the way Hamlet and Ophelia end, but yet not surprising that their story played out the way it did.

Hamlet Blog

In Act II scene 1 we see some questionable actions happen. Polonius is either really overprotective in a loving manner or obsessively crazy. Polonius sends his slave Reynaldo, to Paris to spy on his son, Laertes. Polonius wants to know about his son's reputation and all the dirtiest deeds he has ever done. Polonius tells Reynaldo that he can go to extreme lengths including lying to get any information possible about Laertes. It is certainly questionable whether or not Polonius is all there, it seems pretty crazy to hire someone to go to Paris and spy on their son, especially being an adult. By contrast, Polonius declares Hamlet as mad due to the love he has for Ophelia.This scene has brought lots of controversy to critics. They claim that this scene is unimportant to the overall theme, but I say that the scene actually mirrors themes that are central to the play's purpose. Act II scene I was really interesting to me because of shady Reynaldo and Polonius's strange request to spy on his son. I also found it entertaining because there is a theory that Hamlet never actually loved Ophelia, but instead used her.