Ophelia “Frailty They Name Is Woman”

critical point says, Frailty thy reveal is wo composition. Consider this statement in the light of the presentation of Aphelia line key sights and soliloquies for analysis Discuss various achievements/ interpretations State your preference of interpretation The word finespun meaner when a person or object has the reference of organism weak, fragile, weak in health or creation mor entirelyy unstable, as well some unmatchable who is easily manipulated and influenced by people that surround them, unable(p) to stand on their receive. In this essay I plan to reflection into the character of Aphelia in the shrink from Hamlet by WilliamShakespeare, to get a line whether she is a frail character and what factors contribute to this. I want to look at particular scenes w here Aphelia is involved and ones where she is being described and used in nightclub to see how Aphelia reacts to the other characters in the merriment, to see if she shows any particular signs of being frail . In act 1 scene 2 Hamlet is referring to his fuss describing his feelings on how unacceptable it is that she has moved on so hastily from the man that she seemed to neck so dearly. He then says Frailty, thy name is woman He is at the time aiming his comment at his mother and his anger for the in the buff King but he also labels innocent Aphelia under this as nearly. We have to remember that Aphelia was brought up in a society that is male dominant, the women in Elizabethan times had little check make on what was to buzz off of their lives and were closely governed by their fathers and husbands. The women in this period would be expected to attend their husbands orders and fathers wishes. It is therefore not surprising that Aphelia isnt devoted many lines in the play itself but she is a key tool used through push through by Hamlet, petty officer and Claudia in a bid to out do and catch one another out. I would scoff with Jacques Lilac here in his design of Aphelia in one of his seminars that began with That piece of be dupe named Aphelia she is indeed used as bait by those closest to her and they dont seem to care if the bait gets snapped up in the process. This meddling and toying with her makes it impossible for her to escape and contributes to her death, this is done by the people close to her whom she looks up to and respects enough to be reliant on them and to also tot every(prenominal)y trust them with her affairs and problems but they vituperate her and manipulate her naivety.From the beginning Aphelia is portrayed to us as a delicate, well spoken, respectful young lady but one who is being instructed and lucid by her buddy to uphold the family name by not consent to sex with Hamlet before marriage, steady though she does illustration her own opinions on the matter she does seem to obey and follow what her brother is unwaveringly suggesting she does. Although I think here Aphelia shows her true collectedness and wit in that she k stra ights that her brother is standardisedly to be going against these rules himself and therefore being hypocritical.But, goodly my brother, Do not as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and prickly right smart to heaven, Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine, himself the primrose thoroughfare of dalliance treads, and reeks not his own red. Here she voices her point but in a very dignified way. All she wants is her brother to have a sense of fairness between them and put aside the fact that she is seen as weaker being a woman and is almost voicing a invocation for equality. In comparison after this she is then instructed again, now by her forceful, spiritual father who simply thinks that Hamlets sack out for Aphelia is not slam t all but that its Just lust.He thinks he has his little girls best interest in header but he doesnt give her much time to think close to her feelings or to voice them to him. In act 1 scene 3 Aphelia confides in her father explaini ng what Hamlet has said to her and also what she believes Hamlets feelings are towards her. And hath wedded countenance to his speech, my lord, with almost all the holy vows of heaven. This shows not only that she trusts Hamlets love but that she is very open with her father and that she has a great get hold of of trust in him and doesnt have to hold back or handgrip secrets from him.She is quite naive in thinking that she can have everlasting(a) trust in polonium. He uses this great trust his daughter has in him to his advantage to gain favor with Claudia. Some may say that it is here she is frail in that she does not stand up for what she believes or for her love for Hamlet. She quickly obeys her fathers wishes to stop seeing him without thinking nigh what she truly wants. In reply to Aphelions feelings and beliefs on Hamlets love for her, Polonium shows in his tone and address his disregard for his daughters feelings and level of maturity. Think yourself a baby. off spea k like a green girl. Ay, fashion you may call it. Here he is likening her to a baby, maybe meaning she is weak, young and frail and has to bet on others in order to survive amongst them. Also he mocks her because he does not believe that Hamlets love for her is real although she does. He is almost humoring her because he thinks she is a fool for thinking that Hamlets love is true and is ceaselessly putting her down calling her a green girl because she is not ripe yet and therefore not old enough to see what is really going on. This scene and discussion ends simply with Aphelia saying l shall obey. She has been brought up not to argue with her father but I assure with David Pennington when he says, Aphelions exitingness to let her father interpret for her is very disappointing because in contrast to her tycoon to stand up to her brother she has no ability to oppose her father. In act 2 scene 2 Polonium is conversing with Claudia trying to arrange a merging between Aphelia and Hamlet. Ill loose my daughter to him. Her father talks about her like a piece of bait or a pawn under his complete control, he makes her level-headed like an animal being let loose like a wild dog, suddenly released.This is her father yet again taking control of her life and happiness when he suggests that they set up a meeting with Hamlet so that Polonium and Claudia get to spy on the station and hear what Hamlet has to say. It is in this scene that Hamlet now uses Aphelia as a target for his anger, frustration and feelings of hatred for the foul play of Polonium and Claudia. He is blunt and horrible when he voices his anger claiming there was neer anything between him and Aphelia l loved you not Marry a fool for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them. Hamlet is quite cold hearted and harsh in the things he chooses to say to Aphelia. He also directs comments through her much(prenominal) as l say we will have no more than marriage. Those that are married alr eady all but one, shall live. Here Hamlet is threatening Claudia and really trying to scud and intimidate him by suggesting that he is going to kill him. Aphelions reaction to this scene with Hamlet and his mockery of her is little and she comes across as quite cool with little to reply with. O help him, you sweet heavens. O supernal powers, restore him. Instead of replying directly, she is pleading to the heavens and God as if the scold or evil has changed Hamlet and she wishes they could change him back. This could be seen as naivety to think it is not down to Hamlet himself. She shows frailty here in that she soon looses confidence and also the will to stand up for herself and the love she thought she had with Hamlet. Act 4 scene 7 Aphelions death is proclaimed by Gertrude in front of Alerter and Claudia.Aphelions death is described in such a personal, peaceful and elegant way its a very good cover up for the struggle and madness that is quickly spreading amongst the castle . Her attire spread wide, mermaid like they bore her up Lulled the poor wretch from her melodious lay to muddy death. These lines said by Gertrude create a poetic image of Aphelions supposed accidental death. The description has probably been changed in this way because committing suicide was a sin and the church would have been disgusted at the thought that someone involved with the royal family would do such a thing.Aphelia would not be authorized to have a proper funeral and sepulcher if it was seen to be suicide. Even though parts of the description are pin-up and create images and reflections of Aphelia there is still a harsh awakening with the language muddy death that soon bring o back to the reality of what has happened and now a unreassuring factor has been added. You can almost misread the play and not notice she has in fact killed herself, after her suffering she doesnt even get a dramatic exit like all the other deaths in the play and seems instead to sink to her d eath.This may be because of Aphelions genius and general aura that a painful slow death would not fit with her character and her back story. The description itself makes it seem as if the pissing did not have to fight to bring her down but that it was genuinely very easy and with no trudge, portraying that Aphelia is in fact frail in that she could not fight harder and get herself out of the deep, dark mint in her mind that she had retreated into.In the two films I have watched of Hamlet, the delineation of Aphelia has been different. In Kenneth Branchs reading, Aphelia is how I imagine her to be quite striking, elegant and she also comes across as quite an intelligent young lady vie by Kate Winglet. When she talks she doesnt shy away and seem frail, she actually seems to voice her lines quite forcefully when appropriate. However when she turns ad in this film production I think the acting and the overall look of Aphelia is somehow out of place.I think she needs to show her kookie side in a more subdued style of acting and with a slightly more psychotic side to it, this is where Franco Ziegfelds film for me excels because I think Helena Bonham Carters ascertain on Aphelia is better and more like I expected it to be as depicted from the original script. Her natural ability to have that off the rails look about her is a major plus, she pulls off the crazy act but in an elegant and purely quite disturbing way. Her overall portrayal f Aphelia however, seems weak and she seems to Just blend come on and further into the background.In conclusion I think Aphelions character is like a child getting caught in between the cross fire and I think that her story is tragic in its own way because of her being kept close but constantly in the background. She gets forgotten about and used by the powerful men in the play. I agree with Barbara Everett when she says that Licensor is what was once known as a mans world, one given up to the pursuit of power in a convention al dodging of rivalries. There is little place for women in such a world, and he women of this tragedy are markedly shadowy and faint.I think that Aphelia could be seen as sheltered naive and frail. I think its through no fault of her own however, but rather through the pressures of society, family and her peers. Bibliography http//www. opensourceshakespeare. Org http//Shakespearean. Org. UK/ critical essays on Shakespearean hamlet general editor Jack Bowen written version of one of Jacques Lagans seminars www. Sparseness. Co. UK Henchman advanced Shakespeare set text http//faculty. Petticoats. Du/?Nichols/aphelia. HTML by Carla Williams