Post by kaitlyn on Oct 24, 2011 17:08:19 GMT -5
Within the grasp of vulnerability and self-isolation, Ophelia in the beginning of Act III takes charge of her own desperation and confides in becoming a self-respected, prominent individual. I found this change quite interesting within the dynamics of the play. As Act III opens the reader can see a change in Ophelia towards Hamlet. Once a vulnerable bystander among the norms of society, in the following scene she shows her courageous attributes towards her own feelings, and confronts her true feelings for Hamlet. On page 80 it describes her change:
O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! The courtier's soldier's, scholar's eye, tongue, sword, The expectancy and rose of the fair state. The glass of fashion and the mold of form, The observed of all observers-- quite, quite down! And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That sucked the honey of his music vows, Now see the noble and most sovereign reason, Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh; That unmatched form and feature of blown youth. Blasted with ecstasy. O woe is me. " I" have seen what I have seen, see what I see!
In this scene Ophelia honestly shows Hamlet how she feels about his inconsistent madness and mockery of the demands of being royally noble in society. To her, Hamlet seems to not care about his own self and the people around him, and in this speech she shows just that. In this moment, Ophelia changes her dynamic of being the understated character through Acts I and 2, into the character that finally confronts Hamlet about his behavior rather than sitting on the sidelines watching what is going to happen next.
Witnessing this change in Ophelia allowed me to see how not only the person that is vulnerable to the destruction of other, but see the change that prompted Hamlet to confront his true feelings for Ophelia. Ophelia's declaration of truth towards Hamlet questioned my opinion of her for that moment, and is what made me interested to continue on with the rest of Act 3.
O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! The courtier's soldier's, scholar's eye, tongue, sword, The expectancy and rose of the fair state. The glass of fashion and the mold of form, The observed of all observers-- quite, quite down! And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That sucked the honey of his music vows, Now see the noble and most sovereign reason, Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh; That unmatched form and feature of blown youth. Blasted with ecstasy. O woe is me. " I" have seen what I have seen, see what I see!
In this scene Ophelia honestly shows Hamlet how she feels about his inconsistent madness and mockery of the demands of being royally noble in society. To her, Hamlet seems to not care about his own self and the people around him, and in this speech she shows just that. In this moment, Ophelia changes her dynamic of being the understated character through Acts I and 2, into the character that finally confronts Hamlet about his behavior rather than sitting on the sidelines watching what is going to happen next.
Witnessing this change in Ophelia allowed me to see how not only the person that is vulnerable to the destruction of other, but see the change that prompted Hamlet to confront his true feelings for Ophelia. Ophelia's declaration of truth towards Hamlet questioned my opinion of her for that moment, and is what made me interested to continue on with the rest of Act 3.