Does Hamlet love Ophelia?
When Hamlet returns to Denmark in Act 5, his first public act is to attack Laertes and declare, “I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers / Could not with all their quantity of love / Make up my sum” (5.1. 285-287). Do you believe Hamlet’s claim that he truly loved Ophelia or not? What textual evidence in the play supports your view? What evidence might support an opposing interpretation, and what is your response to such interpretations? Your response should consider:
• the context of the scene (5.1). Do you think Hamlet’s words and behavior here reflect true love and respect for Ophelia, or is he motivated by a selfish focus on his own image and his need to compete with Laertes?
• Hamlet’s interactions with Ophelia in earlier sections of the play (especially in Act 3);
• other scenes and events that you see as relevant, such as his response to his murder of Polonius, and Ophelia’s madness and death.
