Create a character sketch of one of the character: Hamlet, Polonius, Ophelia, emphasizing at least three qualities.

-- hyster (hysterchan@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002

Answers

I'd go for Hamlet: intelligence, loyalty, generosity, hardihood (sorry. that's four, but I can't help myself);

Polonius: insensitivity, meddling control freak, likeness to Jepthah and/or Julius Caesar (last not exactly a single quality but interesting: see II.ii.399-415 and III.ii.97-105);

Ophelia: loyal, affectionate, wise. If you choose her, it's interesting that ophelia means 'succour'. People see this as Shakespeare's mistake for aphelia, which means 'innocence', but I don't think so. She gets Hamlet's bawdy jokes in III.ii, and see Laertes' comparison of her to 'a ministering angel', V.i.233.

-- catherine england (catherine_england@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.

Can't I do Gertrude? She's so enigmatical and fascinating! Oh well, here goes: Ophelia: Less innocent than everyone thinks (evidence to be found in "mad scene" songs although maybe she just had Hamlet on her mind); really in love with Hamlet all through (or at least that's what I think); long suffering. I might also add shrewd and oppressed and really quite schemey (although I don't know where I got that from!)We must not forget that she is the daughterof a major politician so she may have picked up some genes from her father's side! You said just one character so I'll leave it at that.

-- Jenny (jenny@harrissalwarpe@clara.co.uk), July 11, 2002.

Well of course she's not innocent: I don't know how people think she is. She's just inexperienced. But yeah, she gets the bawdy jokes, sings the bawdy songs. And Polonius says to her 'You speak LIKE a green girl ...', implying he's aware she should know better (i.iii.101).

I've been looking at III.ii much more closely recently, and I think that what is usually played as Ophelia being confused and hurt by Hamlet there is actually her standing up to him, reproving him, not humouring him. She's got guts, and wisdom.

But I'd like to know where you get shrewd and schemy from too?

-- catherine england (catherine_england@hotmail.com), July 12, 2002.