The play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, contains many complex characters involved in the royal court of Denmark. After the tragic death of the king, his son Hamlet begins to lose his mind, leaving behind the girl he once loved. Ophelia, the daughter of the Lord Chamberlain of the royal court, remains a static character; obedient and passive, while maintaining her innocence. Upon the death of a loved one, however, he goes mad, his end reflecting his innate characteristics. Ophelia lived a very sheltered life, forcing her to maintain an innocence even as she matured. Those around her aided this maintenance by treating her as such. Before her brother, Laertes, leaves for France, he warns Ophelia of her possible corruption if she remains with Hamlet. “'Cancer irritates the newborns of spring too often before their buttons show. And in the morning and liquid dew of youth, the contagious explosions are more imminent. Be careful, then. The best security lies in fear. Youth rebels against itself, though no one else is near.'” (1.3.38-43) She refers to Hamlet as the cancer and to Ophelia as the flower that has not yet bloomed. Hamlet's promiscuity leads Laertes to believe that he will corrupt his innocent sister, warning her that even the best of girls can be led astray. Those around her feel obligated to protect her innocence, and her brother does so by trying to scare her away from someone who is not as innocent as she is. In his conversations with the more experienced Hamlet, this innocence becomes more evident. As they watch the play, their conversation becomes more sexual, and Hamlet asks the innocent girl, "'Do you think I meant country matters?' “I think nothing, my lord.” «It is a beautiful idea to lie between the legs of the maid... in the middle of the paper... element. It could not be long before his clothes, heavy with drink, tore the poor wretch from his melodious bed to death. in the mud.'” (4.7.171-182). The description of her death raises the perception that she allowed herself to drown. The drowning could have easily been avoided if she had gotten out of the water and allowed herself to sink into the stream. Her passivity ultimately led to her ultimate downfall, she accepted her death and did nothing to stop it. Ophelia let her strongest characteristics ultimately destroy her in her mermaid death. Her innocence and the family's attempts to protect her have made her father's death even more tragic. Unable to cope with her loss and no longer having anyone to command her, she allows her passivity to end her life in Denmark as the innocent girl who "died" by circumstances unfortunate.