Topic: The Madness of Ophelia

[China Doll]

"That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream.
Therewith fantastic garlands did she make
Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples,
That liberal shepherds give a grosser name,
But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them.
There is a willow grows ascaunt the brook,
There on the pendant boughs her crownet weeds
Clamb'ring to hang, an envious sliver broke,
When down her weedy trophies and herself
Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide,
And mermaid-like a while they bore her up;
Which time she chanted snatches of old lauds,
As one incapable of her own distress,
Or like a creature native and indued
Unto that element. But long it could not be
Till that her garments, heavy with their drink,
Pulled the poor wretch from her melodious lay
To muddy death."


Perhaps it is because I just finished watching The Banquet (A Chinese adaptation of Hamlet) or perhaps it is because I've always been obsessed with the character of Ophelia since I first read the play in High School. Or perhaps, in my own conflict with madness, I have always wanted to play a character who is tormented by such anguish and emotion, whose psychosis has been debated and discussed for centuries without conclusion. To put it simply, I wish to play a character in similar make up and situation as Shakespeare's Ophelia. The time period is entirely free to set. Medieval, Victorian, Regency, WWII, Modern...anything. The situation is up for discussion as well. We may even toy with the concept of having my character infact die at the end, or have the setting be the brother reminiscing over his lost "rose of May". The only set detail is that I wish for someone to play a character like Laertes. Whether the brother and sister relationship dwells on incest, a subtle but not overlooked theme in Shakespeare's play, depends entirely upon your comfort level with the idea. The possibilities are endless, so message me and we shall discuss of rosemary, pansies, fennel, columbines, rue, and daises...but never violets.

[Ferran]

This definitely sounds intriguing. Hamlet was always one of my favorites, and I can identify with how frustrating it must be to both suffer from madness, and love someone who does. I'd love to help you out with this one I feel for Laertes, who, to put it briefly, just got mixed up with way more than he could deal with, and didn't realize how screwed he was until it was too late. He did, however, go down fighting, which I admire. I think the Laertes/Ophelia relationship was also the most interesting relationship in the play for me. Perhaps, in the end, Laertes just loved her too much for his own good...which is also admirable and compelling.

"Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia,
And therefore I forbid my tears."

Shoot me a PM if I've caught your interest :)

[China Doll]

Of course I am interested! I full heartidly agree with your statement as well, it was a complex relationship with so many obstacles that blinded them both to the bitter end. However, even in her madness I doubt that Ophelia ever thought her brother did not care for her. She was loved even though it was not, in her thoughts, by the man she wanted to be loved by.