Of all the pivotal characters in Hamlet, Ophelia is the most
static and one-dimensional. She has the potential to become a
tragic heroine — to overcome the adversities inflicted upon her
— but she instead crumbles into insanity, becoming merely
tragic. This is because Ophelia herself is not as important as
her representation of the dual nature of women in the play.
Ophelia’s distinct purpose is to show at once Hamlet’s warped
view of women as callous sexual predators, and the innocence and
virtue of women. The extent to which Hamlet feels betrayed by
Gertrude is far more apparent with the addition of Ophelia to
the play. Hamlet’s feelings of rage against his mother can be
directed toward Ophelia, who is, in his estimation, hiding her
base nature behind a guise of impeccability. Through Ophelia we
witness Hamlet’s evolution, or de-evolution into a man convinced
that all women are whores; that the women who seem most pure are
inside black with corruption and sexual desire. And if women are
harlots, then they mu