Ophelia Through Time

For centuries, interest in Shakespeare’s Hamlet has prioritised its brooding, melancholy prince. Yet, over time, the enigmatic Ophelia, his tragic love interest, has risen to prominence in painting, film, television, and beyond, focused especially on her madness and death – conspicuously off-stage in the drama itself.

Analysing her rebirth, resurrection, and ghostly afterlives in ‘straight’ adaptations as well as narratives far removed from the Bard’s play, this study offers an innovative cross-media analysis of Ophelia’s evolving representation. Tracing her journey from marginal character to symbol of increasing yet ambivalent transcultural importance, it identifies a series of recurring tropes that re-write her female subjectivity in surprising and fascinating ways. From page to stage, and scene to screen, Ophelia’s voice is by turns amplified, ventriloquised, mediated, and silenced, reshaped by the delicate dialogue between text and image.

This book is a captivating exploration of one of Shakespeare’s most evocative figures and her enduring impact on visual storytelling.