Wherefore Art Thou Meaning?

"Wherefore Art Thou Meaning?" Many times while reading Shakespeare this is the main question on my mind. Through my own pondering & writing and hopefully some comments from others, I hope to find some answers.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Ophelia- The Story Between the Lines in Hamlet


I search for a picture of Ophelia, and one of the first results is a picture shared by our very own Dr. Burton.  Just another example of why social networking is so important and helpful.  


 These two pictures are modern depictions of what Ophelia's drowning must have been like.  Pictures carry such emotion, and I love both of these interpretations of the event.  


I have developed a curious interest in the character of Ophelia.  I would really like to explore her character and how Shakespeare developed female characters in his works (a little character analysis + a little textual analysis = a content writer of a research paper).  This topic would allow me to pick apart one of Shakespeare's works in order to develop a better understanding of Shakespeare's writing style, which would help in my future readings of Shakespeare's works...I think I would like to read them all.  Shocking.  I know.  Reading his works in a more focused way than just rushing through the reading of a play then moving on in the class has allowed me to savor the writing style and the character development, which I mentioned are two of my favorite aspects of writing, especially the use of symbolism to communicate an idea.  And to me, Ophelia definitely stands as a symbol.  I know I should have some backup ideas, in case this does not work out, but I really hope that it will.  IF it doesn't, I would like to analyze another female character in one of his works.  The part they play is truly intriguing to me, and I would like to explore it further.

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