Laertes and Polonius Essay

When Ophelia tells her father of Hamlet’s â€Å"holy vows from heaven,† his harsh rebuke â€Å"springes to catch woodcocks† likens her to a game bird considered to be foolish. He later speaks of her as if she were nothing more than an animal; â€Å"I’ll loose my daughter to him† (II. ii. 160) which again indicates his lack of respect for his daughter. He and Claudius were concerned only with Hamlet and so she becomes lost in a â€Å"sea of troubles. † Ophelia highlights key themes in the play, building on the ideas of deception, corruption and patriarchy that run through it. Two central themes of the play are deception and the problem of making a distinction between appearance and reality. Few things in the play are what they seem to be; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are apparently Hamlet’s friends, but are in fact spies commissioned by Claudius. There is a play within ‘Hamlet’ itself. Spying or eavesdropping occurs and â€Å"smiling villains† referred to. The actions of Ophelia also highlight this idea in a variety of ways. Ophelia is also used to portray the theme by the use of imagery. Polonius instructs her to â€Å"read on this book, / that show of such an exercise may colour / your loneliness. We are oft to blame in this, / ’tis too much proved, that with devotion’s visage / and pious action we do sugar o’er /the devil himself† (III. i. 44-49). This shows how a holy face can be put on something to cover evil deeds. The expressions of love may appear truthful to Ophelia, who speaks of Hamlet’s ‘affection’ for her, but (if Polonius and Laertes are to be believed) in reality they may be false, concealing less honourable intentions. Polonius swears that the ‘tenders of (Hamlet’s) affections’ for her are mere ‘brokers, not of that dye which their investments show / But mere implorators of unholy suits. † They may be traps, ‘springes to catch woodcocks. ‘ Ophelia also attempts to deceive Hamlet when she partakes in her father’s attempt to discover the cause of Hamlet’s unusual behaviour. She appears to be alone and lies that her father is â€Å"at home† when in reality he is eavesdropping on their conversation. As previously discussed, Ophelia may only appear to be a naive, innocent maid and be, in reality, the very opposite. In addition, her true madness contrasts with and therefore highlights the false nature of Hamlet’s. Hamlet comments upon how â€Å"God hath given you /one face, and you make yourselves another† and Ophelia does present various ‘faces’ to different characters, according to her relationship to them- acting innocent with her father, yet far less so in dealings with Hamlet. Hamlet also refers to the masking of reality by Ophelia when he says â€Å"I have heard of your paintings-† Hamlet believes that Ophelia may be deceiving him. If the interpretation that she commits suicide is correct, then the innocent imagery is another expression of the theme of illusion: her death appears to be an accident, but in reality is not. Through the play runs the idea of necessity of revenge for the cleansing of social corruption. This corruption is portrayed in Ophelia’s demise, which also hints at the downfall of Elsinore. Imagery Hamlet adopts in his first soliloquy implies general corruption of the world and he states that â€Å"things rank and gross in nature / Possess it† (I.ii. 136-137). He therefore aims to cleanse what is rotten in Denmark, but his failure to do so allows the triumph of disease and decay. Laertes warns Ophelia that â€Å"virtue itself ‘scapes not calumnious strokes,/ the canker galls the infants of the spring. † In addition to Shakespeare employing many images of disease and decay, he also includes several expressions relating to physical deterioration such as â€Å"the fatness of these pursy times† (III. iv. 154) and â€Å"the drossy age† (V. ii. 181). Ophelia’s own deterioration accentuates the theme but while all others perish due to their weaknesses, her demise is brought about by her virtues. Ophelia dies from loving too much and for being too pure. The potential of a stronger, wiser side to her character (hinted at by her comebacks at Laertes) is never realised. The coarse nature of the songs she sings in her madness shows that the corrupt world has taken its toll on the pure Ophelia. As discussed, throughout the play she represents innocence, emphasised by imagery and language. Her drowning depicts the death of innocence itself, thus indicates Hamlet’s failure and impending disaster for the court. It has been suggested that Shakespeare’s plays â€Å"reflect and voice a masculine anxiety about the uses of patriarchal power over women, specifically about man’s control over woman’s sexuality. i † (i Coppelia Kahn 1981 Man’s Estate: Masculine Identity in Shakespeare). This could indeed be true of ‘Hamlet,’ where the political world of Elsinore is shown not to be a place where women matter much, and this leads to their destruction. They do not have a say in anything; the world is presented as one where men are dominant and, if necessary, prepared to use women (even their own family) to benefit them in terms of power. Ophelia exemplifies this, confused by what is happening around her as she strives to do what Polonius, Laertes and Hamlet want her to. Polonius does not advise Ophelia to be true to herself as he advises Laertes, but points out that Hamlet has the freedom to do as he wishes whereas she does not. She is subject to the double standard of the difference between male and female freedom of choice and action. Laertes is treated very differently by his father in comparison to the lack of regard he shows Ophelia. Ophelia’s wishes are never considered- women had little status. Gertrude, too, has limited influence. Claudius and Polonius wield the power. Both women die but Ophelia’s end bears particular significance because she is driven to it by events she cannot control. Her death indicates the corrupting effects of the male-dominated political realm of Elsinore, in which, as Polonius shows, there is little room for the consideration of love. All of the characters fail in the sinful world of Elsinore, where there is no possibility for a fulfilled life. Ophelia’s demise adds to Shakespeare’s bleak message that evil can triumph. Defeat seems inevitable, whether they accept the conditions of Elsinore and live with the deceitful principles of the political world as Polonius does, or seek out love, as Ophelia does, or attempt to find sense in things, like Hamlet. In conclusion, through Ophelia a greater appreciation of other characters is achievable. She illuminates aspects of Hamlet- his suspicion of women and indecisiveness and, by comparison and contrast with her, also his strength, nobility and sanity. She gives insight into his nature both prior to and following his father’s death, therefore allowing the audience a better understanding of (and more sympathy for) him. Also revealed are aspects of Laertes and Polonius’ characters. Shakespeare uses Ophelia to add more depth to the themes of the play, namely the dangers of patriarchy, illusion and corruption. It is through Ophelia that Shakespeare achieves a genuinely tragic response to the play ‘Hamlet’.