The character of Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet presents the reader with a feeling of sympathy and pity. While trying to fulfill the role of Polonius' daughter, Laertes' sister, and Hamlet's lover, the character Ophelia experiences a whirlwind of emotional pain. In an effort to please everyone, Ophélie absentmindedly follows every order given to her, disregarding her own beliefs and values. Her role in Hamlet is that of submissive dependence on the men in her life. Her sanity is tested throughout the play as Polonius attempts to protect her and Laertes and Hamlet attempt revenge. Sometimes she also serves as a mirror to bring out the best and worst of the other characters in the play. Ophelia's submissive and innocent character causes her vulnerability and ultimately her unfortunate death. Ophelia is the perfect representation of a character who accentuates or brings out the actions of the other characters in the play. For example, when Hamlet accuses Ophelia of being corrupt and dishonest, he says: “You frolic and wander and lisp, you call God's creatures names and make your impudence your ignorance... To a convent, go. » (III, I, 152-153, 156-157). Hamlet believes Srinivasan 2 that Ophelia is lying to him when he asks her if she is chaste. She is intact and innocent but Hamlet refuses to believe her because of her sexist attitude towards women. His attitude bridges the betrayal he feels after his mother so easily became unfaithful to his deceased father. This ultimately has a profound effect on his opinion of all women, especially the unfortunate Ophelia, who is virtually powerless. As Charles Boyce describes it, "She [Ophelia] became to him [Hamlet] merely a stimulus for his disgust of women and sex, and...... middle of paper...... for his troubles. The flowers she obsessively refers to, which are symbols of innocence, are tragic signs of her own youth and helplessness in the face of the unforgiving world of the play. It can be rightly said that Ophelia's world is dominated by men. She often acts as a mirror to Hamlet, bringing out the worst in him with her helpless idiosyncrasy. This helplessness prevents him from making his own decisions and constantly seeking help from a male authority figure. Ophélie is repeatedly placed, in terms of her sexuality, like the other women in the play, at opposite ends of the spectrum. Her father and brother see her as the purest virgin woman whose innocence is eternal while her lover sees her as a vulgar, unfaithful and deceitful whore. Her inability to conform to these vast standards causes Ophelia to go mad and consequently die...