Hamlet Ophelia Rationale (Blog Post #12)

I have chosen to embody the character Ophelia throughout the reading of Hamlet. Ophelia seems to be a fairly standard teenage girl, easily swooned but also swayed by the influences and admonishes of her older brother as well as her father. Her 'typical teenage' persona would make her an interesting character that is easy to relate with and naturally embeds herself into the world of social media, loyally reporting the slightest fluctuation with regards to her love life to her band of dedicated followers. Ophelia's character is also an opportunity to analyze gender roles within the time period of Hamlet. Amidst social customs and family relations, Ophelia's youth and female status qualify her as the perfect outlet for an examination of various roles as well as their places in society. Furthermore, Ophelia's perspective offers insight on both Hamlet's as well as Polonius' idea of their relationship. She serves as the link between the two and gives the audience an impression of the actions and reactions taking place on the two conflicting sides. This would allow the audience to either passively observe events or to actively draw individual conclusions based on the events that take place. This makes her a versatile and captivating character that draws the audience into the more serious issues that plague Denmark throughout Hamlet.