Tyler Pontello
Miss Skirtch
27 September 2018
In every human relationship, there are obstacles, challenges, and things to work on. In the
case of the relationship between Prince Hamlet and Ophelia in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet,
there are a lot of issues. Hamlet and Ophelia’s troubled love affair is driven by spying, abnormal
Hamlet and Ophelia’s troubled love affair is driven by spying. In Act 3, Claudius and
Polonius plan to use Ophelia, the last person Hamlet truly trusts, to help determine the cause of
Hamlet’s madness, “Her father and myself will so bestow ourselves that, seeing unseen, we may
encounter frankly judge and gather by him, as he is behaved, If’t be th’ affliction of his love or
no that thus he suffers for.” (III.i.35-40) Spying in any relationship leads to distrust and anger.
When she tries to give him letters he supposedly wrote, Hamlet realizes something is wrong, as
he never wrote “remembrances” to Ophelia, “My lord, I have remembrances of yours that I have
long longed to deliver. I pray you now receive them…. No, not I. I never gave you aught,”
(III.i.102-105) He knows that he is absolutely being spied upon in the moment when he says,
“Where’s your father?” (III.i.141) Some debate that this is the point where Hamlet goes mad, as
he realizes the one person he thought was still trustworthy, helps Claudius and Polonius spy on
Additionally, Hamlet and Ophelia’s troubled love affair is driven by abnormal family
dynamics. In Act 1, Polonius tells Ophelia that Hamlet does not truly love her and that she
Pontello
should stay away from him, “Affection, puh! You speak like a green girl unsifted in such
perilous circumstance. Do you believe his “tenders” as you call them?” (I.iii.110-113) Polonius
goes on to tell Ophelia that she shall have no contact with Hamlet. “This is for all: I would not, in
plain terms, from this time forth, have you so slander any moment leisure as to give words or talk
with the Lord Hamlet.” (I.iii.140-143) Now Ophelia is split between following authority and
following her heart. This affects Hamlet too, because he gets the feeling that Ophelia is shutting
him out. In Act 1, Scene 3, Laertes talks with Ophelia about sexual topics, and tells her that she
is not worthy of Hamlet due to her inferior lineage, “Perhaps he loves you now, and now no soil
nor cautel doth besmirch the virtue of his will; but you must fear, his greatness weighed, his will
is not his own, for he himself is subject to his birth.” (I.iii.17-21) Here he goes on to mention to
Ophelia about the awkward topic of sex with Hamlet, “Or lose your heart or your chaste treasure
open to his unmastered importunity.” (I.iii.35-36) These examples of abnormal family dynamics
just serve to make the relationship more awkward and further split Hamlet and Ophelia.
Finally, Hamlet and Ophelia’s troubled love affair is driven by Hamlet’s mental
instability. In Act 3, Scene 1, after Hamlet figures out that Ophelia is using him, he goes off and
destroys what chance the relationship had, “Get thee to a nunnery, farewell” (III.i.149) Here he is
essentially calling Ophelia a prostitute. “God hath given you one face and you make yourselves
another.” (III.i.155-156) He insults women and drives Ophelia to think that Hamlet’s mental
instability is her fault. Even before the falling out, Hamlet holes himself up in his room,
forgetting Ophelia and being introverted. All these actions by Hamlet add up to ruin the
relationship completely.
In conclusion, Hamlet and Ophelia’s troubled love affair is driven by spying, abnormal
family dynamics, and Hamlet’s mental instability. These things, among others, serve to drive
Pontello
Hamlet into madness and Ophelia into self-deprecating thoughts. Although Hamlet was written a
long time ago, Shakespeare’s masterful writing can be applied in the present day. He makes a
lesson out of Hamlet whose life lessons can be brought into any relationship.