The play, The Tragedy of Hamlet the Prince of Denmark, follows the story of Hamlet after the murder of his father. Hamlet learns that Claudius, his stepfather and uncle, poisoned his brother and that his father wants his death avenged. Claudius spies on Hamlet after discovering that Hamlet learned the truth about his father's death by using Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Polonius, and Polonius' daughter Ophelia to reveal his true feelings. After Hamlet discovers this, he decides to go mad to undermine Claudius. He even acts like a madman in the presence of his lover Ophelia, who is described as being “…a cult figure embodying his own turbulent hopes” (Romanska 485). This raises the question of whether Hamlet truly loved Ophelia, because if he truly loved her, he would still act like a gentleman rather than a fool. By the way he behaved around Ophelia when he was alone with her, he showed that his feelings for her were true. Hamlet's actions throughout the play show that he was truly in love with Ophelia. The audience can see that Hamlet truly loved Ophelia when he tells her, “I loved you” (Shakespeare III 125). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay In this scene, Hamlet admits that he loved her, but goes on to say that he never loved her. This could be because Hamlet knew that his conversation with Ophelia was being monitored, which explains the confusion over whether he loved her or not. Furthermore, in the love letter he wrote to her, Hamlet wrote “never doubt my love” (Shakespeare II 127). He tells her that among everything around him that may not be true, his love for her is real. This is the only time before Ophelia's death that Hamlet reveals his true feelings. This could be because after receiving the letter, Ophelia gave it to her father. Hamlet did not trust Polonius, and from that moment on, Hamlet knew he had to hide his love for Ophelia and act like a fool to protect her. Throughout the play, Hamlet's love for Ophelia is questioned, such as when Laertes said "Onward, not permanent, gentle, not lasting." (Shakespeare I 7-8). Different elements of knowledge about Hamlet's psychological state can be analyzed through the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia. The words “I adored Ophelia forty thousand brothers and sisters/could not, with all their adoration, make up my total.” » (Shakespeare, p. 296). Hamlet experiences falsifications of what love entails due to his puberty, demonstrated by his cruel words to Ophelia and his inability to convey his problems and worries to her. Additionally, Ophelia and Hamlet's relationship is influenced by how he views the mother and ladies as a whole. This is demonstrated by Hamlet's command "Take yourself to a convent", which reveals his belief that all women are prostitutes. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay What is Hamlet In reality, he tries to get rid of the other characters and make it seem like he doesn't love Ophelia, even though he really does. Hamlet did not want Ophelia involved in case Claudius decided to take revenge on Hamlet. Hamlet shows his love for Ophelia when he confesses that he loves her, when he tells her to go to a convent to protect her, when he sends her the letter and when he finds out that she has died . Although many may argue that Hamlet never loved Ophelia, he was simply trying to throw the spies in a different direction,