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Ophelia's Poison In Hamlet

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Words are the greatest poison. They enter through the ear and deteriorate the deepest regions of their victims mind, subjecting them to a prolonged period of intense mental/emotional suffering. In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, this is especially true, as it is a story of familial betrayal and revenge. The poison in this tragedy literally is the poison that is poured into Old Hamlet’s ear by Claudius, but the greater poison is that which is exchanged through words among characters throughout the play. Hamlet is the one most afflicted by this poison as he is the prince of Denmark, the son of Old Hamlet, and is closely involved with developments in Elsinore. Hamlet is sent on a rollercoaster of psychological turmoil, during which his indecisiveness and overall lack of emotional maturity cause him to lash out against the expectations placed on him as prince, causing the story to conclude in tragedy. …show more content…

Furthermore, Ophelia is not royalty, so she is below Hamlet’s socioeconomic status, causing their relations to be all the more so scandalous in the eyes of the public. Clearly, Hamlet has no control over his emotions or patience pertaining to his willpower to wait to see if Claudius is truly guilty for his father’s death, regardless of if the play will be beginning shortly. Moreover, Hamlet refrains from taking a course of action that would be better suited to proving Claudius’s guilt, such as researching where he was at the time of the murder and finding any possible witnesses. On the other hand, this is understandable considering how it should be rather difficult for Hamlet to refrain from expressing his mental/emotional pain to some degree considering how these tribulations nearly drive him to

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