| Warnings
Written by Stacie M.
(5/25/2003 1:37 a.m.)
in consequence of the missive, GR: Laertes and Hamlet regarding "true love", penned by Laraine
Hmmm... the speeches do seem similar, as they're both warning Ophelia away from Hamlet. While Laertes speech is affectionate, and Hamlet's cruel, they're both basically saying the same thing - Hamlet will use her, and desert her, and she's better off without him. What I'm not sure is the motivation behind the speeches. While Laertes genuinely believes this, I don't think Hamlet does. It seems more like Hamlet is trying t push Ophelia away any way he can - and this bitter warning seemed like the best way. But I don't know if Shakespeare genuinely believed these sentiments; none of his plays feature these sort of themes, though no doubt it was a popularly-held belief at the time. (I'm getting flashbacks of Mary's "female virtue" speech in P&P).
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