Ophelia

1. Ophelia By Jye BK

2. Fast Facts • Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius • She is the love interest of Hamlet • Ophelia has an older brother named Laertes • She has no mother • She is a young woman, but her age is unknown • Ophelia lives at the castle of Elsinore

3. Key events Ophelia’s introduction- • Horatio describes her as a “white-haired beauty” and says her beauty could stun him. • Horatio wonders how Hamlet manages to win her affections. The play performed by visiting actors- • Ophelia and Hamlet sit together and he makes her giggle. • Ophelia struggles to understand the play.

4. When Ophelia goes crazy- • After the murder of her father, Ophelia stayed in her quarters of the castle. • One day she requests an audience with the king and queen. • They realise she had gone mad with loneliness and grief.

5. Quotes “Ophelia’s white-haired beauty seemed to come from a secret spring inside her. Occasionally when they were children playing together, Horatio had realised with a shock how beautiful she was… How was it that Hamlet struck a fire from her that he could not?”

6. How are you made to feel about Ophelia John Marsden makes you feel that sorry for Ophelia: • She is a young, uneducated woman who is in love with a crazy Hamlet • Her father is so strict and controlling of her life • Her father is killed by the man she loves and in response she is sent mad.

7. Two performances. • Kate Winslet played Ophelia in the 1996 film, ‘Hamlet.’ • Helena Bonham Carter played Ophelia in the 1990 film, ‘Hamlet.’