Representing Ophelia by Elaine ShowalterElaine Showalter defines Ophelia in many typical ways in her essay "Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibility of Feminist Criticism." He discusses its meaning in reference to how it reveals Hamlet's characteristics. Showalter touches on the idea that the character of Ophelia is a symbolic character in Freud's psychiatric theories. Showalter also attributes Ophelia's characterization not only to the audience, but also to the actress playing the part. He never suggests that Ophelia might be just that, “Ophelia.” His entire article is dedicated to the individual interpretation of the work in its entirety, focusing primarily on Ophelia. Showalter presents his own ideas by bringing together the ideas of many others such as Jacques Lacan, Susan Mountfort, Ellen Terry and others. Showalter provides sufficient evidence in addressing each topic, but in doing so never takes into account the possibilities of Shakespeare's reasoning. In the discussion of Ophelia's character, her madness is almost always at the center of the controversy. Showalter acknowledges and explains many interpretations of his madness. Ophelia's madness is, by some, attributed to "a predictable result of erotomania" (225). This term “erotomania” was what the Elizabethans called “female amorous melancholy.” Yet another interpretation is that of the "Romantic Ophelia," in which she is defined as "a young girl passionately and visibly driven to picturesque madness" (228). Next, it is explained what is meant by this definition when Showalter writes about how people saw Ophelia as a woman who "felt" too much and somehow allowed these feelings to overwhelm her. This type of action would drive a person to madness, just as Ophelia is driven to madness. This conclusion would seem to suggest that her madness stemmed from some sort of erotic passion between her and Hamlet. This is the type of interpretation that is given to the public in many film versions resulting from erotomania. Elaine Showalter creates an argument based predominantly on the idea that Ophelia's madness stems from her "feminine love-melancholy." Showalter cites many actresses, critics, doctors and the like who completely support this idea and have actually expressed this idea to others in many ways. If it is not true that Hamlet and Ophelia had sexual relations, then this interpretation of the character and its effect on the entire play can be understood on an entirely different level.