She had become one of the most interesting characters and madness drives her to her “muddy death” (4.7.182). I thought accident and suicide were the main ones but welcome to different ideas (accidental suicide given her mental state or murder??? Related Questions in English. I've always seen her death as the accidental outcome of her madness. The gravediggers indulge in a spate of black comedy that culminates in Hamlet's matching wits with the adeptly paradoxical First Gravedigger. If a dead person was brought to a coroner's inquest, the fact that that person was a lunatic was offered as a demonstration that the death was more likely suicidal that accidental. Ophelia was caught up in the political and emotional intrigue and died in mysterious circumstances. He says that Ophelia's death was "doubtful," and "but that great command o'ersways the order, / She should in ground unsanctified have lodged" (5.1.228-229). Ophelia's Death Perhaps the most tragic death in "Hamlet" is one the audience doesn't witness. Boston, Stratford & Co. From the death of Ophelia, we naturally pass to the scene of her burial. When Gertrude informs Claudius and Laertes of her tragic death, she says that she was singing old lauds by the river before the water took her (4.7.176). Ophelia: Accidental Death or Suicide? For example, Gold-Au, Silver-Ag, Lead-Pb, Potassium-K, Tin-Sn, Iron-Fe, and Mercury-Hg, where did these symbols come from? LOGIN TO VIEW ANSWER. And what is the difference between apoptosis and necrosis? Regarding Gertrude’s death, your rationale coupled with literary evidence from the text makes me seriously reconsider Gertrude’s death as necessary, and further, a suicide. Or, perhaps, was Ophelia’s death an accident, or a murder? "It was quite a surprise to find Jane Shaxspere's entry in the coroners' reports - it might just be a coincidence, but the links to Ophelia are certainly tantalising," he said. Nobody jumped in to try to save Ophelia. Whether or not her death was a suicide is the subject of much debate among Shakespearean scholars. When he says “Her death was doubtful,” he refers to the ambiguous circumstances of her death. English. Posted by AllisonR at 7:52 AM. But Dr Gunn says they were taken aback to find an account of the death of a girl who might have been a young cousin of her contemporary, William Shakespeare. Gertrude also points out that Ophelia did not seem to have any idea of the danger she was in while she sang old songs and sank into the water. I don't think her death at this point was murder because she wasn't insane long enough for someone to deem that was really her problem and she must be dealt with. Ophelia’s accidental drowning shows her as a victim of circumstance among people who … Accidental drowning is probably a better fate for Ophelia since her recent bout with craziness was going to get her killed eventually. And Horatio almost certainly wasn’t Gertrude’s source for the details of Ophelia’s death because after scene V, Horatio was busy with the sailors delivering Hamlet’s letters in scene 6. Hamlet’s confrontation with death, manifested primarily in his discovery of Yorick’s skull, is, like Ophelia’s drowning, an enduring image from the play. She did not commit suicide because she wanted to escape the ‘real world,’ she was merely unable to consciously decide her fate. About one minute after Ophelia left the palace, Gertrude followed her. AHuxley … There is a great deal of debate whether Ophelia really attempted suicide or that the event was completely accidental. Gertrude explained earlier that Ophelia fell into a water bucket by accident, but made no attempt to save herself. That was my take on it. What would Gertrude's motive be? How do I find the molar mass of the elements on the periodic table? Gertrude decides her falling into the water was apparently accidental. What's your opinion r/shakespeare? Without interrupting the action of the drama, her funeral serves as a brief respite for the audience before the breathless on-rush of the fast approaching and final catastrophe. In general, people who make accusations about a king, even in a distracted state, don’t last very long. Tragically, her death also imitated that of Ophelia's in that there was (and remains) dispute over whether the laudanum overdose that proved fatal was purposeful or accidental. Outright madness was also considered prima-facie evidence that a suicide had occurred. A branch broke while she was hanging a garland of flowers, and she fell in. In addition, Ophelia’s death is yet another death caused indirectly by the lust for revenge that Hamlet has, as his words spurn her into madness and into the waters of … ? Another view about Ophelia's death. The coroner, it is true, afterwards decided at the inquest (V. i. But it's interesting that people would hold Gertrude responsible for her death. Possibilities in favour of accidental death: Horatio, ordered to Follow her close; give her good watch, was absent, having gone to meet Hamlet. Ophelia’s death is, arguably, an honorable one, characterized by her willingness to let go of her submissive, earth-bound self and leave the world no longer a victim. Ophelia's Burial From The Riddles of Hamlet by Simon Augustine Blackmore. 1 Answers. What is cell death? by Sam Ruck (Circle 5) Ophelia in the fourth act of Hamlet is demonstrably insane, but the direct cause of her slipped sanity is something that remains debatable.While it is evident that Ophelia is grieving over the death of her father, Polonius, as Horatio says of her “She speaks much of her father, says she hears / There’s tricks in the world, and hems, and beats her heart” … While there is certainly room for conjecture centering on Aphelion’s murder or on accident, it was in fact, a suicide, Aphelion’s madness and suicide are the counterpoint to Hamlets feigned madness and accidental death. What causes Ophelia's death? Her martyrdom was not in atonement but in merciful preservation of her innocence and chastity. Her death is reported by Queen Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, in great poetic detail as though she had witnessed the poor girl’s death. 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