What do you notice about the way that Ophelia is portrayed in the John Everett Millais painting?:
Ophelia is portrayed in kind of a weird as you can say. Even though she drowned and died, she is surrounded by flowers right at her side and it even looks like they are in her hand. She also is dead face up so it makes me wonder if she even drowned since s usually when you drown you sink or are face down in the water, never are you face up with your hands out the way she has them. The water looks a little shallow too for Ophelia to be drowning in.
What characteristics does the artist imbue in his version of Ophelia?:
The artist imbues that Ophelia's character was an innocent one. In his painting Ophelia looks as if she wasn't intending to die or shouldn't have died. It seems a little too perfect on how the flowers are arranged next to Ophelia.
How do you believe Shakespeare intended Ophelia to be portrayed?:
Shakespeare intended that Ophelia's world and character revolved around Hamlet. She could have been upset about the fact that Hamlet killed her father and that Hamlet and her are no longer together. This could have played a role in Ophelia's death and character.
What were her final moments like?:
Her final moments seems kind of peaceful but also kind of crazy. Ophelia was hung up over her father's death and Hamlet's non existence in her life. She was using sticks as flowers and was by the stream or brook and all these flowers before she died.
Did she intentionally drown herself?:
Ophelia did not intentionally drown herself. The way she died and where she died from this picture gives me a hint that she was murdered. Some things in this book are a toss up to what your opinion is. But from seeing the same picture from different illustrators i think that Ophelia was murdered. The water was was a stream or brook that was not rough in motion. Brooks and streams are also very shallow too. I do not think she intentionally drowned herself.
Did she give in after the branch underneath her broke?:
I honestly do not think the branch broke. I do think that she was murdered and that it was a set up.
Did Gertrude sit idly by and watch her struggle?:
I don't think that Gertrude was sitting there watching her struggle because i think that in the play she says that Ophelia and Hamlet were suppose to get married to each other. I think that if I recall Gertrude even said that to Hamlet.
What do you believe is the reason for Ophelia’s madness?
Ophelia's madness was caused by Hamlet and her splitting up and then Hamlet murdering her father.
What contributed to her demise, in your opinion?:
Ophelia's madness and reaction to her father's death and Hamlet's nonexistence in her life anymore caused her demise. If she didn't react in such an insane way then maybe her death wouldn't have came to her. But still we never know if her death was accidental or if she was murdered for some apparent reason.
How might you represent Ophelia?:
I represent Ophelia as an interesting character. There isn't just one side to her. She has multiple personalities and views. She really loved Hamlet but listened to Polonius on not seeing or speaking to him anymore. She also seemed very happy sometimes during the play but then went completely insane at the end of it. Again it all depends on the situations she is in and what is going on around her.