Ophelia’s Death-The Transitoriness of Life
Time and time again critics have proved that Ophelia’s death was a case of suicide. I strongly disagree.
1) First of all, Ophelia was out of her senses, then how could she commit suicide in the true sense of the term?
2) If one supposes her to have recovered her senses before the incident, one does not go to commit suicide with garlands around her neck.
3) Moreover, if she did recover her senses just a moment before, she would not jump on an impulse and if she pondered upon it, the probability is that someone on the palace grounds may have seen her.
4)And the most important of all, Ophelia was a firm Christian as is proved in various passages. Therefore she would never commit suicide.
The Transitoriness of life is reminded throughout the grave-digger’s scene as in Philip Larkin’s “Ambulances”. The beginning itself deals with the death of the beautiful Ophelia. The grave-maker makes houses that last till Doomsday. The song sung by the grave-digger laments our heart as the decline of passionate love in old age is indeed difficult to digest. While death is a once in a life-time affair for us, it has become a routine with the grave-digger. Rightly does Horatio remark to hamlet that it is the grave-digger ahs rendered himself indifferent to the reality of death by continuous acquaintance with it. The grave-diggers also brings out the inevitableness of the situation by using words like ‘salvation’ when he means ‘damnation’. The presence of skulls and the persistence reference to death also brings out the eeriness of the situation.