Emily C. - Reflections on Ophelia

I had never really looked much into Ophelia's madness. I remember merely considering Ophelia as a girl driven mad by the death of her father. However, after rereading the play, I have come to find her character and situation far more complex than what I first thought. Certainly her father's death would push her over the edge, but what brought her to the edge in the first place? Throught the play Ophelia is merely a tool. To her father (rightfully called a Jephthah by Hamlet) Ophelia is a means to gain favor with the king. To Claudius, she is a tool to work upon Hamlet's mentality. And to Hamlet, she is an outlet to unleash his anger. But instead of "what is Ophelia?" one should ask "who is Ophelia?" In her madness she sings of sxuality and the frustration of relationships, especially with women. Aside from being a tool, Ophelia is a girl, a darn repressed girl. Her father forbids her relationship with Hamlet and her brother emphasizes the necessity of keeping her chastity. These pressures are exhausting, and she, unfortunately, is pulled every which way trying to please everyone except herself. It's no wonder she goes crazy. Interestingly, in her madness, she finds a voice, and perhaps even a sense of liberation.