Hamlet's Gentle OpheliaWilliam Shakespeare created a gentle little creature in the character of Ophelia in the tragedy Hamlet. His strange misfortunes, as well as other circumstances, make his life interesting to explore in this essay. Ward and Trent in The Cambridge History of English and American Literature argue that Ophelia is interesting in herself, apart from her relation to the hero: Of Ophelia, of Polonius, of the queen, and of all the rest, not to speak of the same Hamlet (in whose mind it would be absurd to attempt to discover new points here), after this there is no need to say anything. But it is evident that they are not interesting, as in the case of Coriolanus, simply or mainly for their connection with the hero, but in themselves. (vol.5, pt.1, ch.8, sec.16, n.55) Helena Faucit (Lady Martin) in Some of Shakespeare's Female Characters reveals the misunderstood character of Ophelia: My opinions on Shakespeare's women have been usually take shape in lively scenic portraiture, and not in words. In imagination I lived their lives from beginning to end; and Ophelia, as I have imagined her, is so different from what I have heard and read about her, and seen performed on the stage, that I can hardly hope to make anyone think as I do. It hurts me to hear her speak, as often happens, of a weak creature, devoid of sincerity, of purpose, of strength of character, and interesting only when she loses what little intelligence she had. Yet who can wonder that a character so delicately delineated and delineated with such fine touches is often sorely misunderstood? (186) Ophelia enters the scene with her... center of sheet... s 6.1 (May 2000): 2.1-24 .Pennington, Michael. "Ophelia: madness is her only safe refuge." Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardò. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of “Hamlet”: a user's guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996. Pitt, Angela. "Women in Shakespeare's Tragedies." Readings on tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint of Shakespeare's Women. Np: np, 1981.Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nn.Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge history of English and American literature. New York: Sons of G. P. Putnam, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000 http://www.bartleby.com/215/0816.html