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Ophelia Describes Hamlet
Context and Language Videos
Act 2,
Scene 1
Lines 87-100

A discussion of Ophelia's description of Hamlet in Act 2, Scene 1 of myShakespeare's Hamlet. 

myShakespeare | Hamlet 2.1 Discussion: Ophelia Describes Hamlet

Ophelia

He took me by the wrist, and held me hard.
Then goes he to the length of all his arm,
And with his other hand thus o'er his brow
He falls to such perusal of my face
As he would draw it. Long stayed he so.
At last, a little shaking of mine arm,
And thrice his head thus waving up and down,
He raised a sigh so piteous and profound
That it did seem to shatter all his bulk 
And end his being. That done, he lets me go
And with his head over his shoulder turned,
He seemed to find his way without his eyes,
For out of doors he went without their help,
And to the last bended their light on me.     
Video Transcript: 

SARAH: Although this exciting scene between Ophelia and Hamlet happens offstage, Ophelia's blow-by-blow account of Hamlet's actions is a dramatic way for us to see it, almost like those quick playbacks on American television, what are they called?

RALPH: Instant replay, Sarah. But I can't help noticing some unintentional irony here on Ophelia's part — she describes Hamlet's behavior, saying that his sigh "did seems to shatter all his bulk and end his being." She's unknowingly picking up Hamlet's own metaphor for self-destruction from the beginning of his monologue in Act 1, scene 2: you remember, where Hamlet willed his flesh to melt away into vapor.