# Ophelia — Hamlet character guide

> Ophelia in Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** sweet Ophelia, Ophelia Belike, Ophelia Ay, pretty Ophelia

**First appearance:** 0001-act-i

## Snapshot

Polonius's daughter, raised to obedience and handed a prayer book to read while the men around her arrange her life as a test.

## Who they are

Ophelia is the court's most watched young woman, courted by Hamlet, instructed by her brother, commanded by her father, and used by the king as bait. She returns Hamlet's letters and endures his cruelty without knowing what has changed, her obedience costing her the one thing she wanted. Her songs and flowers later give voice to grief the men around her have no language for, and her presence measures the human cost of Elsinore's politics.

## In the story

### [Scene III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-i-scene-iii)

Listens to Laertes' advice and promises to remember it, but later submits to Polonius' command to avoid Hamlet.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-i)

Ophelia reports Hamlet's alarming visit to her closet, describing his disheveled appearance and silent, intense behavior.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-i)

Returns Hamlet's remembrances; is cruelly rebuked by Hamlet; laments his fall from grace.

### [Scene II: The Mousetrap](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-ii)

Engages in bawdy banter with Hamlet during the play and questions the meaning of the dumb-show.

### [Scene V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-v)

Appears mad, singing songs about death and lost love, distributing flowers with symbolic meanings.

### [Scene VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-vii)

Reported drowned by Gertrude; her death deepens Laertes's desire for revenge.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-v-scene-i)

Her funeral procession takes place; she is buried with maimed rites due to suspected suicide.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters/ophelia
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters