“
Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?
HamletAct III, Scene 1
3
Act 3, Scene 1
Climax
Immediately after "To be or not to be," Ophelia approaches Hamlet to return his love letters. Knowing (or suspecting) that Claudius and Polonius are watching, Hamlet turns savagely on her, denying he ever loved her and urging her to a convent. Ophelia is devastated.
Why This Matters
Hamlet’s cruel rejection of Ophelia — whether genuine madness, performance for the spies, or displaced rage at Gertrude.
misogynydisgustcrueltylove
Hamlet and Ophelia
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1864 · Public Domain