Ophelia's Madness in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Ophelia has a unique, very powerful and interesting form of madness; she carries out an important role in the elaboration of the plot because she presents a theme of love and innocence. In the beginning, she starts off in a healthy state of mind, in love with her boyfriend Hamlet, yet controlled by her father in regard to their relationship. During the play she encounters several troubling experiences involving Hamlet, which cause her to become …

…more than she can bear, and she ended up going completely insane and committed suicide. Ophelia’s madness and the events that lead her to it are key parts in the plot in Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. Ophelia was the most innocent victim of all because she was the side affect of everyone else’s actions and had no idea that she was mentally decaying. Her death was perhaps the greatest tragedy in the play.