Skip to main content

How does Claudius treat Ophelia?

Claudius ignores Ophelia for much of her existence except when he needs to use her in a plan to discover the cause of Hamlet's supposed lunacy.  Claudius and Polonius use her as a pawn to decide if Hamlet is is crazy because Ophelia has denied his amorous advances. 


Claudius curtly asks, "But how hath she received his love?" (II,ii,137) and has only the mildest interest in Polonius' answer before agreeing to spy on their interactions....

Claudius ignores Ophelia for much of her existence except when he needs to use her in a plan to discover the cause of Hamlet's supposed lunacy.  Claudius and Polonius use her as a pawn to decide if Hamlet is is crazy because Ophelia has denied his amorous advances. 


Claudius curtly asks, "But how hath she received his love?" (II,ii,137) and has only the mildest interest in Polonius' answer before agreeing to spy on their interactions.  He later concludes that that Polonius is incorrect:




Love? His affections do not that way tend;
Nor what he spake, though it lacked form a little,
Was not like madness (III,i,176-178).



His only reaction is to consider his own safety from Hamlet.



Later, when Ophelia has gone crazy herself at the death of her father and the betrayal of Hamlet, Claudius treats her with disdain.  His lines in Act IV are short; he interacts with her only briefly, and then demands that a guard "follow her close" (IV, v, 81), primarily for his own benefit, not hers.  When Gertrude reports her death, Claudius expresses no sorrow for Ophelia, only fear for himself.



Claudius has no real use for Ophelia or care for her well-being, even after her father dies.  He does not care for her mental state, except that he can use it to fuel Laertes' desire for revenge and keep himself safe.  A young girl seems to have no place in his kingdom except as collateral.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

What gift did Della buy for Jim and why in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which... Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair.  Della is still willing to sell her hair so she can b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more