Act I, scene III is a much kinder scene in the play. Its purpose is to introduce Ophelia as Hamlet's girlfriend. Laertes is ready to depart for school on a boat or train. I don't regard this scene as very important. It largely consists of Polonius and Laertes insisting that Hamlet is only using her, and chasing him will ultimately lead to heart-break. They both seem to have low opinions of Ophelia. That perhaps suggests the overall view of women in Hamlet: naive, delicate, and stupid. Laertes recieves some typical fatherly advice from Polonius and he sets off. An interesting point raised in class work was that this family is close-knit. They seem to share a genuine concern for eachother's well-being. This is a stark contrast to Hamlet's family of superficial personalities, and hate. Ophelia's family is happy and healthy, and Hamlet's is very dysfunctional.
- Tyler Scott
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