Post by kaitlyn on Oct 27, 2011 14:23:16 GMT -5
In the eyes of their father's death, Laertes and Ophelia react in contrasting ways. The sudden death of Polonious not only takes the reader off guard from the realms of the novel, but also provokes different reactions from both Laertes and Ophelia. As the reader can see, both Ophelia and Laertes are similar in how they care about the sudden death of their imprudent father. Contrastingly, they both show different reactions to how they deal with it. This aspect of siblings having different reactions to their father's death is what made this act seem interesting to witness trough their reactions with this circumstance.
In the final pages of Act IV scene V, the reader can see the outrage Laertes experiences from the discovery of his father's death. Indifferent to Ophelia's reaction, Laertes searches for answers to avenge his father's death. He questions the intentions of Hamlet, and seeks revenge on him to avenge Polonious' death. On page 138 it shows his draw with revenge:And so have I a noble father lost; A sister driven into desp'rate terms, stood chalenger on mount of all the age. For her perfections. But my revenge will come. In this quote, it shows his reaction to his father's death and how he plans to seek revenge and kill Hamlet. This reaction is atypical to the reaction of Ophelia ,suffering from the deteration of Polonious' death.
Unlike Laertes, Ophelia had quite a different reaction. She reacted with remorse, sadness and depression for this sudden ill minded hardship. She could bring herself to believe that society would still go on with out the oppression of her father. The reader can see her depression through her actions after his death. In addition to crying out her sorrows in singing through Act IV, Ophelia brings her sorrows to a' final halt. On page 145, Gertrude describes Ophelia's last actions:There is a willow grow aslant a brook. That shows his hoar leave in the glassy stream. There with fantastic garlands did she come. Of crowflowers, nettles, daises, and long purples. Liberal shepherds give a grosser name, There on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds Clamb'ring to hang, an envious sliver broke. Fell in the weeping brook....In this scene, the reader can see Ophelia's desperation to overcome her father's death. Not forgiving herself for what happened she takes fate into her own hands and drowns in the water. Doing this, unlike Laertes, ended her sorrows and search for answers quickly without the pain of facing death every day.
None the less, in this act I found it interesting how I could witness the differences in the reactions of both Laertes and Ophelia. Laertes fought to seek revenge for Polonious' death and found no peace within to forgive Hamlet. In contrast, Ophelia was consumed with the pain and sorrows of her father's death, she became so depressed and desperate that she drowned in the brook. This ended her pain and suffering quickly and relieved her of the ultimate question of why her father died. This act was interesting to read, and the contrast of reactions created an interesting storyline to read.
In the final pages of Act IV scene V, the reader can see the outrage Laertes experiences from the discovery of his father's death. Indifferent to Ophelia's reaction, Laertes searches for answers to avenge his father's death. He questions the intentions of Hamlet, and seeks revenge on him to avenge Polonious' death. On page 138 it shows his draw with revenge:And so have I a noble father lost; A sister driven into desp'rate terms, stood chalenger on mount of all the age. For her perfections. But my revenge will come. In this quote, it shows his reaction to his father's death and how he plans to seek revenge and kill Hamlet. This reaction is atypical to the reaction of Ophelia ,suffering from the deteration of Polonious' death.
Unlike Laertes, Ophelia had quite a different reaction. She reacted with remorse, sadness and depression for this sudden ill minded hardship. She could bring herself to believe that society would still go on with out the oppression of her father. The reader can see her depression through her actions after his death. In addition to crying out her sorrows in singing through Act IV, Ophelia brings her sorrows to a' final halt. On page 145, Gertrude describes Ophelia's last actions:There is a willow grow aslant a brook. That shows his hoar leave in the glassy stream. There with fantastic garlands did she come. Of crowflowers, nettles, daises, and long purples. Liberal shepherds give a grosser name, There on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds Clamb'ring to hang, an envious sliver broke. Fell in the weeping brook....In this scene, the reader can see Ophelia's desperation to overcome her father's death. Not forgiving herself for what happened she takes fate into her own hands and drowns in the water. Doing this, unlike Laertes, ended her sorrows and search for answers quickly without the pain of facing death every day.
None the less, in this act I found it interesting how I could witness the differences in the reactions of both Laertes and Ophelia. Laertes fought to seek revenge for Polonious' death and found no peace within to forgive Hamlet. In contrast, Ophelia was consumed with the pain and sorrows of her father's death, she became so depressed and desperate that she drowned in the brook. This ended her pain and suffering quickly and relieved her of the ultimate question of why her father died. This act was interesting to read, and the contrast of reactions created an interesting storyline to read.