Song Analysis Of The Song 'Ophelia' By Tori Amos

For centuries, Hamlet has been widely regarded as one of William Shakespeare’s greatest works. The cast of diverse characters has been the subject of many discussions and has inspired many other works of art. The character of Ophelia, in particular, has touched the hearts of many artists and is featured in many pieces; one of the most interesting of these pieces being “Ophelia” by singer-songwriter Tori Amos. Her eclectic style and heartfelt lyrics are a key component of her music, making what she creates hauntingly beautiful. The song conveys a clear message-- it is imperative that women act for themselves rather than submit to a damaging male influence. The first verse of the song is very specific to the plight of Ophelia herself. In her first lyric of the song, Amos describes Ophelia’s secret as “safe,” most likely

When Tori Amos mentions “Veronica’s America” she refers to one that judges people based on face value, one where people are cruel and love is a pipe dream. Like Ophelia, Veronica has chosen relationships with the wrong people, leaving her cynical and jaded. She does not believe that love is worth the pain it causes. Tori compares this view of the world to “Charlotte’s America”; while the character of Charlotte is rather ambiguous, Amos speaks of it as if it were full of “cosmic flavor”, a direct reference to one of her other songs “Flavor”, a song about the divine aspects of love. Even though love is difficult, it is worth every struggle because of the happiness that true love can create for someone. Alice, another character from the Gaitskill novel, reminds the listener that Change and Pain are sisters, and in order to accept a positive change in your life, you also have to accept the pain that comes with it. In the final like of the chorus, Amos again implores Ophelia to break the chain and be her own person with autonomous thoughts and