How Views of Ophelia's Madness in Hamlet Have Changed Over Time - Essay Sample

Introduction

Mental disorders have been in existence for the longest time now. However, the society was not accepting of the matter. Long before the birth of psychology, mental illness was perceived differently by different communities. People had varying opinions on the matter as majority maintained stereotypic attitudes towards victims. Mental health literacy was not that common in the 18th and 19th centuries as many associated the affliction with demonic possession. Therefore, the attitudes and beliefs people had on mental illness were contributed by their inabilities to comprehend the depths of the issue. Mental disorders affected both men and women differently. In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare introduced the character of Ophelia who has managed to intrigue directors, actors and producers for centuries now. The character opened up a whole debate on how the female psychology and sexuality and shed a light on how the issue was handled in the Shakespeare's days to the present era. Undoubtedly, the perception of the female psychology has undergone tremendous changes with the society becoming more understanding and accepting which contrasts to the stigmatization that surrounded the matter before.

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In the play, very little information is provided on Ophelia's past and background thus making it strenuous to establish the origin on her mental condition later on in the play. Her life is attached to that of the character Hamlet. Escolme (174) elaborates that one could imagine Hamlet's existence without Ophelia but Ophelia's life was not purposeful without Hamlet in it. The character of Ophelia was not introduced in the play until later on when she appeared in five of the twenty scenes. However, her character is by the most discussed and relevant in the play. Over the four decades after the first play, Ophelia has developed into a character that represents the conflicts and stress within women in the society. Her portrait has been painted by many artists depicting her to be heroine against Hamlet and her father. In her life, Ophelia had no sense of self-dependency (Sayers and Showalter 116). She lived her life according to the instructions of her father and Hamlet, her husband. Some critics argued that Ophelia was too obedient for her own good. However, that was until she developed a sense of stability to lead her own life. It is uncertain as to whether the developed sense of dependence was what was considered as mental illness as it was the norm for women in that point in time to have their lives revolving around the men in their lives.

Ophelia's madness was presumed to have been caused by her undying love and quelled desires for Hamlet. But judging from the life she lived, one would conclude that the causal agents were more than just her affection for Hamlet (Escolme 184). For a start, she had no control whatsoever on every decision concerning her life. Her father and brother made choices concerning her life up until she was married off to Hamlet. Upon entering her married life, Ophelia was expected to take commands from her husband who was also the sole decision maker in their home (Shakespeare 145). Essentially, her life left no room for her to express her deepest feelings on whatever relevant matter. In the present age, such a life would inevitably cause depression. The origin of Ophelia's mental condition is uncertain as it may have been biological or emotional. Edward Jorden's 'Treatise on Hysteria' explores the theory that Ophelia's madness may have been due to emotional stress that is 'love madness'.

When the scene where Ophelia went mad was first acted out in the 18th century, the actress was dressed in a milky white gown to represent her pureness as a woman which contrasted perfectly with Hamlet's black attire which symbolized his melancholy male madness. The actress entered the scene with unkempt hair, handing away flowers she had while singing indecent songs (Shakespeare 143). The scene depicted the deflowering of her womanhood and death of her femininity. When she let herself drown in the river as her garments as if with a mind of their own, pulled her further down into the depths of the water it was a portrayal of how little control she had over her life. However, the scene was edited to remove the violence that came with the madness as images considered too revealing were also eliminated (Escolme 166). The role, which was played by Mrs. Siddons ad Jane Lessingham amongst others, was highly dignified after objections were raised against the indecent language and high sexuality of the scene by the Augustans. Thus the part was always edited all through the 18th century while singers were preferred for the role instead of actresses. Evidently, the society then was not receptive to the whole female psychology topic (Sayers and Showalter 109). The woman was always depicted to be a frail, obedient and decent creature. Madness, on the other hand, traversed these societal expectations of the woman. One might have argued that the male species may have felt threatened at the possibility of a liberated woman hence the reason why the character's actions on the stage were suppressed.

Nevertheless, in the 19th century, the whole approach to the female psychology and sexuality was completely revolutionized. In France, where the play was performed with Charles Kemble making his debut as the character Hamlet and the talented actress Harriet Smithson playing Ophelia, the crowd was more welcoming of Ophelia's character (Escolme 165). In the specific scene, the actress entered the stage dressed in black dressed in a long pitch black gown signifying her torments and mysterious sexuality. The woman's image shifted from just being an innocent pure being to a more riveting personality (Escolme 166). Her wild unkempt hair laid in a mass over her shoulders as she laid flowers on the tail of her long dress in the shape of a cross as though enacting her father's funeral. This particular part of the scene was edited out for the better part of the past century, therefore, it was fascinating for the audience to finally watch it. Escolme (169) explains that the burial was metaphorical for the end of the dominating presence of the male characters in her life that is her father, brother, and husband. It was symbolic of the psychological liberation attained by Ophelia. The drowning part of the scene was later on captured in the Delacroix's portraits which revealed a half-suspended Ophelia lying on the stream with her dress slipping from her body which was different from how the scene was enacted in the earlier days (Escolme 169). Ophelia drowns in a pool of feeling as she was an empathic individual who felt too much.

In the 21st century, the knowledge on the female psychology has significantly advanced as equally as the understanding of the female sexuality. The woman is regarded to be more independent, assertive and free-willed as compared to before. In the midst of all the mental disorders affecting women such as hysteria and prenatal depression, the society has been equipped with the intellectual capacity to distinguish between personal mental growth and mental illness (Sayers and Showalter 111). Therefore, the character of Ophelia has been analyzed differently by various people in the different times in history may continue as so even in future. The reason being that with each day more information on the psychological functioning and composition of the woman is increased thus people learn new developments. According to Sayers and Showalter (113), the female mind is a fascinating organ as not many have the capacity to fully comprehend it thus explaining the decreased stigmatization in female mental disorder patients.

Conclusion

Women like their counterparts are both emotional and intellectual beings. Their brains are constantly evolving with the surrounding and like in Ophelia's case when the environment is restrictive and constraining, liberation is inevitable. In the 19th century, the woman was restricted psychologically to act in a certain way which explains the lengths the Augustans went to have the mad scene edited to their preferences. However, the world generally has grown more aware of the mental functioning of the woman and her sexuality thus explaining the receptive attitude towards the female psychology. Although there is an intimate connection between sexuality and insanity as portrayed by Ophelia, the possibility of personal mental growth should not be made vague. The female psychology and sexuality are monumental in the self-identity of the woman and thus should be treated with a sense of understanding and an accommodating maturity as opposed to the previous stereotypic attitude.

Works Cited

Escolme, B. "Ophelia Confined: Madness and Infantilisation in Some Versions of Hamlet." Performance, Madness and Psychiatry, 2014, pp. 165-186.

Sayers, J., and E. Showalter. "The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980." Feminist Review, no. 27, 1987, pp. 109-121.

Shakespeare, William. "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark." The Oxford Shakespeare: Hamlet, 1603, pp. 138-140