Hamlet
how is ophelia represented in her dialogue with laeretes? how does she respond to her brothers warning againg hamlet? are these siblings similar are differnet from their father
act 1
act 1
We need to understand that Ophelia has little choice as to what her future holds. She must listen to the males in her life until she is married off at which time she must listen to her husband. So poor Ophelia gets direction from her brother. Laertes pretty much tells Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet because her honour depends on it. She does mention the double standard here. She knows what her brother gets up to in France, "Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to Heaven..." I think Laertes, although not as obvious and garish as his father, could one day be like him. Ophelia does not have the luxury to be like either of them, it's a man's world.