Ophelia and Hamlet In 1600, William Shakespeare composed what is considered the greatest tragedy of all time, Hamlet, the Tragedy of the Prince of Denmark. His masterpiece forever redefined what tragedy should be. Critics have analyzed it word for word for nearly four hundred years, and each generation has appreciated Hamlet in its own way. While Hamlet undoubtedly conforms to Aristotle's definition of tragedy, one question still remains. Did Shakespeare intend for the reader or viewer of Hamlet to feel more sympathy for Hamlet or for Ophelia, Hamlet's lover? Both characters tug at the heartstrings throughout the play, but it is clear that "The Tragedy of the Prince of Denmark" is a misrepresentation of Shakespeare's true intentions. To capture our sympathy, Ophelia goes through a transformation unlike any other character in Hamlet. She is abandoned by all those dear to her; her father Polonius, her brother Laertes and Hamlet, her lover. Yet Ophelia becomes caught in a web of madness when her loyalties are torn between Polonius and Hamlet. Most horrifying of all is Ophelia's suicide. The emotion it evokes, combined with the previous points, shows that Shakespeare's intention was to transform Ophelia, a minor character in terms of the number of lines assigned to her, into a memorable character who would evoke maximum sympathy. To fully see Ophelia's metamorphosis, one must compare it to the beginning and conclusion of Hamlet. First appearing in Act 1, Scene 3, Ophelia appears to be a lively young girl. She is very trusting and innocent. Most importantly, however, Ophelia is naive about how things are. Laertes tries to "instruct" her about love, in lines 10-44, but his advice falls on deaf ears because Ophelias...... halfway through the paper ...... it is contested that Ophelia should be buried on a sacred ground. No other character faces similar danger, even after death. Why does Shakespeare do this to a character like Ophelia? The answer may or may not be found in Saxo Grammaticus' Chronicles of the Danish Kingdom. There is no mention of an opheliac character in the story of Amleth. So what was Shakespeare's inspiration for Ophelia? Before his marriage to Anne Hathaway in 1582, an unfortunate event occurred in Shakespeare's life. His girlfriend at that time fell into a river and drowned. The character of Ophelia may represent a lost love of Shakespeare's, for whom he wanted us to feel great sympathy. Such a connection would explain why Ophelia, although not the central character, is still a figure of great tragedy. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Global Shakespeare Theater Series. 1996.