Hamlet and Ophelia1. The plays have handouts to help the audience understand the important characters in the play. Foils are minor characters who have similarities and differences with a more important character in the play. Sometimes the minor character is only there so the character can talk; this is the basis of being a foil. In the play "Hamlet", [Titles] by William Shakespeare, the character Ophelia is a counterpart to Hamlet.2. Similarities are an important part of being a complement. One similarity that Hamlet and Ophelia share is that they are both children of controlling parents. [SV - 1] Hamlet's father, who is murdered[,] returns as a ghost to tell him who his murderer is. This news is his father's way of controlling him from the grave. Hamlet's mother and stepfather are also controlling him by persuading [persuading] Hamlet not to go to Wittenburg. Men in those days went away to get an education. There was no need for Hamlet to do this because he was a prince. [As a prince, he might have been even more likely to go abroad for his education.] Ophelia is also controlled by her father. She tells him how Hamlet has tried many times to express his affection for her. Ophelia's father does not believe that Hamlet is sincere and orders her to stay away from him. Ophelia obeys her father's wishes. Women were expected to do what they were told and to believe that what they were told was true. Another similarity between Hamlet and Ophelia is the feelings they have for each other. At the beginning of the play[,] we are led [led] to believe that Hamlet loves Ophelia. This scares Ophelia, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings for him too. It is her father who discourages [encourages] her to suppress whatever feelings she may have at that moment. Later in the play Ophelia confesses her love for Hamlet[,] and then he hides his feelings and denies that he loves her. He suggests she go to a convent. This makes Ophelia feel useless and unwanted. Finally, the reactions that the characters have to the death of their fathers are also similar. When Hamlet discovers that his father has been murdered and that his stepfather is the murderer[,] it is more than he can bear..