The manipulation of Polonius and Ophelia in Hamlet The main plot of Shakespeare's Hamlet centers on Prince Hamlet's desire to repay King Claudius for his evil deeds . The stories concerning the minor characters of Polonius and Ophelia revolve around this central action. Although they do not motivate Hamlet's actions towards the King, these characters act as forces on Hamlet himself, trying to goad him into doing things he doesn't want to do. Both Polonius and Ophelia attempt, unsuccessfully, to manipulate Hamlet into a position of inferiority. In the first scene of Act II, Polonius and Ophelia discuss the meaning of Hamlet's strange behavior. Although the two characters agree that his actions arise from the torment of rejected love, they get to that point through very different means. At the beginning of the dialogue, Ophelia says that she was "frightened" by Hamlet in his bedroom. (II,i 75) The meeting with the Prince left her scared about his real intentions. He says it feels like he's been "freed from hell/to speak of horrors." (II,i 83-4) The very fact that Hamlet does not say a word to Ophelia makes him even more intimidating. By not saying anything, Hamlet reinforces his image as a madman, as well as hiding his real intentions towards those around him. Right after this passage comes a point in the text where we can see how Ophelia's character has been manipulated by Polonius. After his "suggestion" that he might be doing it out of frustrated love, Ophelia says that this is what she truly fears. (87) His feelings of pity and concern are shaped by his father to fit his insanity case against Hamlet. To further reinforce this situation, Polonius... in the center of the paper ......f the situation before entering it, while Polonius and Ophelia must try to understand the events as, or after, they happen. Works Cited Bradley, A.C. "Shakespeare's Tragic Period--Hamlet." Shakespearean tragedy: lessons on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. Toronto: MacMillan, 1967. 79-174.Campbell, Lily B. Collected Papers of Lily Campbell. NY: Russell, 1968. Lidz, Theodore. Hamlet's Enemy: Madness and Myth in Hamlet. Vision Press, 1975.MacKenzie, Agnes Mure. Women in Shakespeare's works. London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1924. Northrop, Frye. "Hamlet." Northrop Frye on Shakespeare. Ed. Robert Sandler. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986. 82-100. Oakes, Elizabeth. "Polonius, the Man Behind the Arras: A Jungian Study." New essays on Hamlet. Ed. Mark Thornton Burnett and John Manning. New York: AMS Press, 1994. 103-112.
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