Source: https://www.facebook.com/Voodica
It made me wonder: What is it about suicide, and specifically Ophelia's suicide, that people find so beautiful? Why do people make art of this one character? Something about her obviously lingers in people's minds long after they've finished reading Hamlet. For some reason, Ophelia's ghost haunts artists' minds, a morbid muse who demands that her story be told and retold.
Part of the reason likely stems from the fact that Ophelia's death is artistic. As Gertrude describes Ophelia's death to Laertes, she chooses her words carefully, painting Ophelia's death not as a suicide, but as a beautiful accident. She describes Ophelia's "fantastic garlands.../Of crowflowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples" (167-68) refers to Ophelia's gown as "mermaid-like" (175) as her clothing weighs her down, "heavy with their drink," and pulls her into the water (180). Ophelia's death seems beautiful when described in this manner, not gruesome and miserable as a suicide should be. Even as she dies, Ophelia is surrounded by the flowers that follow her throughout her existence in the play. Ophelia is a beautiful young woman perpetually frozen in time, whose tragically early death and the flowery language used to describe it have left a lasting impression on artists for centuries.
*wistful sigh*
ReplyDeleteI agree that Shakespeare makes us feel very sorry at Ophelia's death as it is portrayed romantically. Maybe all of us want to die like that - seemingly slipping into a permanent, deep sleep, rather than a violent death that so many other Shakespeare characters suffer.