Ophelia: Accidental Death or Suicide? Bear in mind that in the deeply religious culture that was the basis for the inception of Hamlet, suicide was a mortal sin, bearing with it the consequence of eternal punishment and damnation, burial in unconsecrated ground and shame to be forever associated with the deceased. Hamlet repeatedly draws comparisons between his mother and his romantic interest, most famously with the “Get thee to a nunn’ry!” scene. What do the symbols on the Periodic Table mean? A. the death of his father B. the attack of Fortinbras C. Ophelia's suicide D. the accidental murder of Polonius. The confusion of whether or not Ophelia's death was an accident stems from the fact that Gertrude gives a narrative of what seems to be the exact circumstances of Ophelia’s death. About one minute after Ophelia left the palace, Gertrude followed her. Accidental drowning is probably a better fate for Ophelia since her recent bout with craziness was going to get her killed eventually. ? The audience first learns of Ophelia’s death from Gertrude, who reveals the nature of the incident “as accidental, passive, involuntary, [and] mad” when, in IV.vii.173 she proclaims that “an envious sliver broke” when Ophelia was sitting on a branch of a willow tree singing her mad songs (Neely 326). Ophelia’s madness and suicide are the counterpoint to Hamlet’s feigned madness and accidental death. How do I find the molar mass of the elements on the periodic table? "It was quite a surprise to find Jane Shaxspere's entry in the coroners' reports - it might just be a coincidence, but the links to Ophelia are certainly tantalising," he said. In Act 4 Scene 7, Queen Gertrude reports that Ophelia had climbed into a willow tree (There is a willow grows aslant the brook), and that the branch had broken and dropped Ophelia into the brook, where she drowned. During the scene at her grave, the priest expresses doubts that Ophelia’s death was accidental as was claimed, though he suggests she killed herself. In her essay on the subject, Barbara Smith states, “Freud […] sees even inadvertent actions, including falling or slipping, as carrying out an unconscious death wish But it's interesting that people would hold Gertrude responsible for her death. For example, Gold-Au, Silver-Ag, Lead-Pb, Potassium-K, Tin-Sn, Iron-Fe, and Mercury-Hg, where did these symbols come from? Was Ophelia's death an accident or suicide? This might be the thing that I might include my paper which tells … Or, perhaps, was Ophelia’s death an accident, or a murder? English. Where did Gertrude get the details of Ophelia’s death? I don't think her death at this point was murder because she wasn't insane long enough for someone to deem that was really her problem and she must be dealt with. And Horatio almost certainly wasn’t Gertrude’s source for the details of Ophelia’s death because after scene V, Horatio was busy with the sailors delivering Hamlet’s letters in scene 6. In addition, Ophelia’s death is yet another death caused indirectly by the lust for revenge that Hamlet has, as his words spurn her into madness and into the waters of … That is, if he had had his way, the "order" for a suicide would have been followed, and Ophelia would have been buried in unsanctified ground, and rocks thrown on her grave. Boston, Stratford & Co. From the death of Ophelia, we naturally pass to the scene of her burial. That being said, the general consensus (if it can be called such) is that Ophelia’s death is both accidental and intentional. 1 Answers. Regarding Gertrude’s death, your rationale coupled with literary evidence from the text makes me seriously reconsider Gertrude’s death as necessary, and further, a suicide. What's your opinion r/shakespeare? Related Questions in English. Tragically, her death also imitated that of Ophelia's in that there was (and remains) dispute over whether the laudanum overdose that proved fatal was purposeful or accidental. Modern times have shown more often then not, people with mental illnesses are much more likely to die of suicide than anything else. O proud death, What feast is toward in thine eternal cell, ... Of accidental judgments, casual slaughters, Of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause, And, in … I've always seen her death as the accidental outcome of her madness. Hundreds of years after her death, she remains the picture that comes into people's heads when they hear the name 'Ophelia', even to those who have never heard her name. Another view about Ophelia's death. by Sam Ruck (Circle 5) Ophelia in the fourth act of Hamlet is demonstrably insane, but the direct cause of her slipped sanity is something that remains debatable.While it is evident that Ophelia is grieving over the death of her father, Polonius, as Horatio says of her “She speaks much of her father, says she hears / There’s tricks in the world, and hems, and beats her heart” … But Dr Gunn says they were taken aback to find an account of the death of a girl who might have been a young cousin of her contemporary, William Shakespeare. She did not commit suicide because she wanted to escape the ‘real world,’ she was merely unable to consciously decide her fate. Whether or not her death was a suicide had occurred followed her one person was attending Ophelia and she for... To crazy people doubtful, ” he refers to the notion that Ophelia did commit,. In fact the detail of her narrative is what makes it so suspicious make accusations about a king, though. 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