Comparison of Ophelia characters in Hamlet and Child of God Essay

The play, crossroads, by Shakespe be and the novel, churl of God, by Lolita file cabinets tells of Ophelia l character that displays similar base behaviors. In twain juncture and Child of God, the two Ophelias are static ace-dimensional characters who are two victims of their circumstances. However, the Ophelia in juncture meet a tragical give up composition the Ophelia in Child of God is able to ease up a positive ending. In short, Files Ophelia became the tragic heroine that Shakespeares did non.The signifi usher outt and most classic similarity between the characters of Ophelia in Hamlet and Child of God is that twain are a static-one dimensional character. These characters do not change passim the play or novel and continued to be predictable. They act corresponding robots that do not exercise an aggressive control over their hold lives and effect any purposeful independent personal change in their environment. They are weak-willed, soft, fragile, bare-ass bein gs whose main function and purpose in flavour is to be dominated and utilize by recent(prenominal) more aggressive, lovesome characters surrounding them.Files Ophelia is express to be, naive about the piece and the people in it and Shakespeares Ophelia is described by Hamlet as frailty, thy name is wo musical composition (Files 65 Shakespeare & Hapgood 116). Ophelia in Child of God is employ by his companion for his selfish, passionate desires while the Ophelia in Hamlet is used by her receive and brother to be a spy against the humanity she loves, Hamlet. Files Ophelia put up a little but unconvincing resistor to his brothers advances (but Im your sister) perchance because her situation is more delicate while Shakespeares Ophelia readily obeyed without incredulity (Files 68).It is said that Files Ophelia loved her brotherand would thrust done anything to make him talented (Files 68). Moreover, the two characters in some(prenominal) stories are both predictable crea tures that one could easily predict to either f entirely when circumstances are bragging(a) or triumph when circumstances are good or in their favor. Sure enough Shakespeares Ophelia became a madwoman when circumstances turn from seriously to worse, as first, she is betrayed by her lover, Hamlet, who tells her I love you not, and then reciprocal ohm her father is murdered by Hamlet himself (Shakespeare &Hapgood 182).Files Ophelia, on the other hand, as well as almost went underdone when her child dies in the fire after go under left her, and would surely have gone crazy if her mother did not make the initiative to turn her life around by send her to college in another State. Such behaviors show both Ophelias incapability to calculate their own destiny in go against of their circumstances. One reason is that they come out to be women who have no opinion of their own. In Hamlet, Ophelia did not stick out Hamlet against her father but willingly submits to their plans even th ough it may hurt the man she loves.Some scholars who made an analysis of her character impeach her, that because of her willingness to be used against him, she therefore does not really love Hamlet (Madariaga 41). However, it is obvious that this Ophelia netnot make up her mind, as suggested by her reply I do not know, my lord, what I should think(Shakespeare & Hapgood 127). Similarly, the fillmingly innocent Ophelia in Child of God who ironically loves to read books that could have imparted her knowledge from which to smithy her own opinions is easily convinced by her own brother to have sexual relationship with him.Both authors therefore, typifys two Ophelias who emulate and elaborate the dangers of the celebrated frailty , naivety and tenderness of feminity for it, in fact, exposes women to domination and hence, to sightly victims of circumstances. On the other hand, one of the major differences that a reader can observe is that Ophelia in Child of God had an incestuous lo ve routine with his brother record while the Ophelia in Hamlet, who alike has a squiffy relationship with his brother, did not. It appears that the major difference lies in the brothers themselves.Lay is generally a wicked, selfish man (as attested later by destroying his own brothers life to drugs). His childhood is greatly influenced by his aunt Sukie who is also a wicked, selfish woman. His love and concern for Ophelia, therefore, is driven more by his passionate lust and usinfulnessg persuasive words (I prospect you said you loved me), convinces her to enter into an incestuous love affair with him. He later left her pregnant and drive her away from his life when Ophelia establishes adjoin with him (Files 68). On the other hand, the Ophelia in Hamlet has a brother, Laertes, who genuinely loves her.He thinks Hamlet is just going to destroy her virginal innocence (your un corrupted treasure open, to his unmasterd importunity) and therefore warns her (Shakespeare & Hapgood 12 4). Files Ophelia recognizes that it is sin to have incestuous affair with his brother but she speaks with little article of faith (what happen between us aint normal, and when Lay asks her who said it she replied, it just aint) indicating that she was not as implicated to the moral implications of her actions (Files 69). What is important for her is that her brother loves her and he wants her.Many people present this patient of of argument when confronted with their sinful or questionable actions. As gigantic as their needs are met they do not care so frequently what the law or others say. Interestingly, the people who are capable of this kind of lifestyle are those who are less pricked by conscience. Nowhere in the book in the Child of God can one see that Ophelia struggles with guilt over her incestuous affair with Lay. When she was almost overcome with indulgence, it was not because of guilt but because her child (the one she sired with her brother) is burned to death.On t he other hand, one would wonder what would have happen to Shakespeares Ophelia if Laertes had made strong-arm advances to her like what Lay did to his sister. It is quite feasible that she would be gone crazy or mad also. The reason is that she seemed to be endowed with a high degree of conscience, arising from a nurtured family loyalty, than the Ophelia in Child of God is although looking at both their lives in entirety it seems that they do not struggle much with moral choices or alternatives (Shakespeare et. l. 78 ).It is apparent in Hamlet that the madness of Shakespeares Ophelias is caused by the grief over her fathers death ,nevertheless, judging from the events surrounding her fathers death( like Hamlets insult over her betrayal and the possible likelihood that she thinks Hamlet killed her father in revenge) it could be that it is in fact the culmination of all the guilty feelings she harbors inside as she cries out, O Woe is me, to have seen what I have seen, what I see (S hakespeare & Hapgood 185).The authors therefore do show that the relationships that both developed with their brothers is largely influenced by the behavior of their brother themselves although one cannot discount the role of the degree of moral conscience in these two characters. Shakespeares Ophelia is more inclined to be pricked by conscience (therefore more in all probability to avoid it) than Files Ophelia is. Another significant difference is that Files Ophelia became a tragic heroine that Shakespeares Ophelia did not.It can be famed that these two fragile maidens encounters and are caught up in a tragic family drama. However, the life of Files Ophelias can be said to be more tragic (and cursed with sin) than that of Shakespeares Ophelia for her bloodline is tainted with family murders, family hatred, gender biases (homosexuality) and incest and therefore more prone to failure and bitter end. On the other hand, the Ophelia in Hamlet can be said to have only a tragic incident in the murder of her father by her lover Hamlet.Weighing these two backgrounds, one therefore can conclude, that Shakespeares Ophelia had a more chance to experience a exultant life. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Shakespeares Ophelia became crazy and suspected to commit suicide while Files Ophelia overcome her tragic past. Their antithetic endings are truly caused by the respective lack or abundance of support that they thump from others. As mentioned earlier, both of these Ophelia do not take initiative for their destinies.Therefore, the mainstay to their triumph relies heavily on the people surrounding them. The Ophelia of Hamlet both lost her father and Hamlet and with her caring brother far in Paris, Ophelia is put in a most distressing state( driven into epic terms, as Laertes put it) , struggling with her sorrow and grief alone which eventually caused her madness( Shakespeare & Hapgood 244). Files Ophelia on the other hand, in spite of the murder, hatred and inc est surrounding her life, nevertheless, has a very supportive family.Her parents protect her from possible harm, she is sent to school by an equally supportive family friend and at least she has one brother, Polo, who cares so much about her and is with her in her new life as a student. Then later she met a man who loves her and accepted her for who she is. Without being very straightforward about it therefore, the two authors implicitly illustrate the value and importance of support towards fragile weak characters in attaining their triumph over the adversities of their lives.As a conclusion, even though the Ophelias of Hamlet and Child of God displays and possesses the same weak, naive personality and tender feminine qualities that is subject to domination and exploitation they are, however, destined to have different endings. The reasons are due mainly to their ability or the lack of it to be influenced by conscience as well as to their respective differences in getting support f rom others.