In Hamlet, Ophelia is portrayed a tragic heroine, pure but ultimately doomed. She is cursed to follow a course, which will end in her demise due to the complexity of the fragile human psyche.
Ophelia’s psyche is compartmentalized into three major subdivisions: the Ego, the Superego and the Id. These three sections of her psyche can be best analyzed in the famous “Nunnery scene” from Shakespeare’s everlasting play Hamlet. In this scene Ophelia suffers from a critical mental overload that triggers a chain of cataclysmic events that robs her of not only of her innocence, but also her sanity.To apply a psychological lens to the “Nunnery scene”, we must first understand how a psychological lens works. A psychological lens works with psychology. It looks either at the psychological motivations of the characters or of the authors themselves, and generally the former is considered a more respectable approach.
Frequently, psychological critics apply Freudian psychology to works, but there are other approaches such as a Jungian lens. We, however, will focus on a Freudian lens. When taking a Freudian approach to critical analysis, one often pinpoints the influences of a character's id.The id is representative of the pleasure seeking, instinctual part of the mind.
The superego represents the quadrant of the mind, which represses the id's impulses, and often reflects one’s parental influences. The ego is referred to as the quadrant of the mind that controls but does not contain the impulses of the id, allowing them to be released in a productive but not damaging manner. Freudian lenses often draw attention to the sexual implications of symbols and imagery; this is because Freud believed that all human behavior is motivated by sexuality.In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the “Nunnery scene” is a turning point for Ophelia in the play.
It is Ophelia’s initial confrontation with her former lover, Hamlet, the prince of Denmark. Although her feelings are pure and true, she is being used by her father, Polonius, to discover the root cause of Hamlet’s supposed madness. However, the plan falls to pieces as Ophelia’s heart is torn apart by Hamlet’s denial of their relationship and the outright rejection of her affections, telling her to “get thee to a nunnery”.Leaving her alone with only her crushed hopes and the scattered remnants of what was her once stable psyche.
Considering the dramatic events in this scene and their effects on Ophelia’s mental state, this scene is ideal for the psychological analysis of Ophelia’s character. During the “Nunnery scene”, Ophelia is being mentally raped by hamlet as her world falls apart around her. The different parts of her psyche react differently to the chaos she is experiencing. Ophelia’s id, as a representation of her childlike persona, remains indecisive about how she should deal with the situation she is faced with.She is confused, and this is reflected in her responses to Hamlet’s questions.
She responds with “My lord? .... What means your lordship? ” (Act 3 scene 1) rather than with answers, evading a distinct decision. At this point in the play Ophelia’s id is confused, wishy-washy and lost in a sea of possibilities.
With all the anxiety built up within Ophelia due to the current situation, her ego acts as a defense mechanism, sending her signals to get out while she still can, raising a fight or flight scenario.Her ego has chosen to become flighty and erratic, as it has been frightened by the sudden change in the dynamic of her relationship with Hamlet. All the pressures put upon her by both her father and Hamlet, have caused Ophelia’s ego to all but disappear. This is evident the moment when the plan seems to fall to pieces as Hamlet asks, “Where is your father? ” (Act 3 scene 1), revealing that he may know exactly what is going on between Ophelia and her father and the plot to discover what Hamlet is thinking.
Ophelia’s ego becomes frightened at this possibility and takes off, trying to protect itself from the psychological damage about to ensue. The Final psychological component is the Superego. This is the compilation of the strict moral voices in one’s head, telling them what to do and acting almost like a parent. Ophelia’s superego in the “Nunnery scene” can be strongly divided into three sections due to the complex nature of the superego. The first section is representative of the masculine voice, or all the men who have influenced her in her life.This section of the Superego can be represented by Hamlet’s line of “Get thee to a nunnery” (act 3 sc 1), for Ophelia carries his opinion in high esteem and therefore her superego processes the command he gives her, and turns it into a voice of reason for her decision.
The second section of her superego is the voice of Ophelia’s libido, because in the Freudian context if every individuals goal is to engage in sexual activity, they wish to be attractive, and it is this part of Ophelia which wishes to be considered attractive by Hamlet.So that part of her superego is calling out to her “Paint an inch thick” meaning for her to put effort in her appearance and relationship with Hamlet. Finally, the last section of Ophelia’s superego is based on her basic cultural status and the goals she must accomplish to achieve it. As a lady in the palace of Denmark at this time period, she is expected to not only be married, but to have a family and nurture them. It is this part of her which is getting frustrated with hamlet as he fervently denies her, ultimately denying her of the goals she needs to accomplish.Her superego wants her to keep fighting with hamlet for their relationship, so that she can reach her final goal of having children and a family, as her culture expects of her.
When all the different aspects of Ophelia’s psyche combine, it releases a frenzy of emotions, thus bringing her to her breaking point as they all collide with one another, pulling her down into a destructive spiral from which she cannot escape, and in conclusion, showing us the true beauty of the fallen.In Ophelia’s madness we see that she is still a child, forced into a position of drastic changes, decisions and lost innocence beyond her comprehension. Just as man is flawed, so too does this apply to the human mind, and in analyzing the demise of the fair Ophelia, these discrepancies are brought forth to show Hamlet’s readers a greater truth.
