Most of the attention in William Shakespeare's Hamlet is paid to the eponymous prince of Denmark or at least to King Claudius, the evil uncle who killed his brother and seduced his wife. Critics and readers alike contemplate the inner workings of Hamlet's mind, but do not pay as much attention to Ophelia's dull and seemingly one-dimensional character. She is defined by her relationships with other individuals: the daughter of a noble courtier, the mistress of the prince who kills her father, and the sister of a brother with quite powerful political status. A young woman confined by habit and custom to a fairly submissive role, she doesn't arouse much interest at first and seems to act simply as a basic plot device. However, the author had larger plans in mind for this character; Shakespeare uses Ophelia to illustrate the dual nature of women in Hamlet's eyes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout the play, Hamlet has a distorted view of women as heartless sexual demons who can sometimes display virtue and innocence. He sees them as almost instinctive animals with extreme uncontrollable behavior, rather than sensitive human beings whose actions might swing back and forth somewhere in the middle ground of these two radical endpoints. Through Ophelia, we see Hamlet's transformation into a man who believes that "the women who seem purest are black with corruption and sexual desire" (Shakespeare-Online). Does this explanation of a woman's temperament ring true? A closer look at Ophelia's actions and the circumstances surrounding them will provide more information to determine whether Ophelia is a seductive temptress, a pure virgin, or an example of dual nature. The first clue to Shakespeare's true intentions for the character of Ophelia comes directly from the name itself. The etymology of Ophelia is said to have two possibilities. One option holds that it comes from the Greek word for "help" or "rescue." The word may also have originated from "ophis" meaning "snake" (English). If Hamlet was actually as educated as one might assume from attending a college like the University of Wittenberg, he would have acquired knowledge of the Greek language. Awareness of this interesting dichotomy of Ophelia's name may indeed disturb Hamlet, and may well have led to his caution in dealing with the relationship between himself and Ophelia. Another useful perspective on the character of Ophelia is one that can be found in countless works of art ranging from the 18th century to the present day (Arts). Most of the images are individual portraits, emphasizing Ophelia's loneliness and lack of friendly ties, especially after all the authoritative male figures in her life have abandoned her. Many of these images depict her in nature dressed in flowing white dresses with long, loose hair, which could represent childlike innocence and simple nature. The different faces have a strangely calm expression, illustrating Ophelia's strange behavior as she drowns, or a slightly shocked look when she is caught by surprise in some position. Although most of these similarities imply nothing more than purity, many paintings retain some sexual element, even if it is only a seductive aspect. For example, some images reveal more about Ophelia than might be considered modest or appropriate. Without even fully realizing what they were doing, the artists of these pieces captured some details, however minute, of Ophelia's dual nature in Hamlet and made itunconsciously represented in their works of art. Although such an outcome was most likely unintentional, Polonius turns his daughter into a prostitute. When Ophelia becomes frightened and dismayed by Hamlet's wild appearance and behavior towards her while in her room, she runs to her father for advice. In response to what she has just heard, that Hamlet has come before her, looking "as if he had been delivered from hell / To speak of horrors", she goes to the royal court (II, i, 75-120 ). There, Polonius plans with Queen Gertrude and King Claudius to use Ophelia's charms to spy and find out why Hamlet is going mad. Although Polonius is unaware of the innuendo, Hamlet calls him a "fishmonger," which can mean a trader in a disreputable trade; in other words, Hamlet calls him a pimp (II, ii, 173). He continues the conversation to casually warn Polonius of his daughter's possible conception (II, ii, 184-185). In some places like this, when she openly flaunts their intimacy, it is evident that Ophelia has also been made a prostitute by her love Hamlet. One thing seems to infuriate Hamlet more than anything else about Ophelia's lascivious nature: that she "put her sense of love and duty for another man above his own sense of love and duty for him" (Shakespeare-Online). When Ophelia obeys her father and attempts to end her relationship with Hamlet, he is painfully reminded of a very similar situation (III, i, 90-102). She can't help but make the connection to how her mother, Queen Gertrude, chose her uncle, King Claudius, ignoring his loyalty to her late father, King Hamlet. If these choices are understood to have a sexual undertone, as Hamlet believes, then these "more imperative" relationships could easily be considered incestuous. Ophelia is once again forced into prostitution, not because of her own preference, but because she must follow the path that her controlling male counterparts, and therefore society, have set out for her. While Hamlet is recovering from Ophelia's recent onset of their separation, he spits out "take you to a nunnery" (III, i, 121). At first, it seems that he is trying to preserve her goodness and protect her from the evil ways of men by ordering her to flee to a convent and away from the sin of men. However, when he repeats the same line with the added retort: ​​"Or, if you need to marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them. Go to a convent, and early too." " (III, i, 136-139). Obviously he is not referring to a nunnery in the literal sense if he is so embittered and includes "if you must marry", since someone who lives in a nunnery could not marry. Hamlet makes it clear with these lines that he is speaking of a convent as a brothel and that she believes that women, or "monsters" as she calls them, lead to the corruption of men. Despite the efforts of the men in her life to make her a prostitute, it is evident to those who do not they are blind by indignation and anguish that Ophelia symbolizes goodness. Characterized by childlike innocence and naivety, she has been protected by her brother Laertes and her father Polonius throughout her life (Hamlet Haven). and Laertes, Ophelia has no reason other than to believe that they are considering her well-being when they tell her to distrust Hamlet (I, iii). For example, while watching the play with him, she only replies, "I think nothing, my lord” to her question if she thinks he is talking “dirty” to her. Even as Hamlet continues to pepper her with jokes and allusions, Ophelia patiently disavows his remarks: "You are nothing, you are nothing: I will mark the play" (III,?