Ophelia's Character in Hamlet Ophelia is a beautiful, simple-minded woman, easily shaped by the more powerful opinions and desires of others. Thoughts of her father and brother influenced her the most. Hamlet's love letters also influenced her opinions and confused her mind. Ophelia has failed to realize herself because of all the pressure put on her to be something she is not. That weakness of mind and will, which allowed her to obey her father and thus destroyed her hope in Hamlet's love, ultimately led to her madness and death. When her father challenged the honor of Hamlet's intentions, Ophelia could only reply "I will not." know, my lord, what I should think" (III, iii). Accustomed to relying on her father's guidance and raised to be obedient, she can only accept her father's belief, seconded by that of her brother, that i Hamlet's "sacred vows" of love were simply designed for her seduction. She had to obey her father's orders not to allow Hamlet to see her again Ophelia as bait so that he and the king could hear Hamlet's words. Ophelia willingly obeyed her father's wishes by not thinking for herself and only doing what her father wanted, she ruined her chances of love with Hamlet. Hamlet pressed Ophelia, expecting her to overcome her mother's defects and become an embodiment of womankind. He searched her innocent face for some sign of loving truth that could restore his faith in her for a sign of her guilt and found her to be a false person, like her mother. In his letter to her, he addressed the letter to the "beautiful Ophelia" and ended the letter with "I love you more, or more, believe it" (II, ii). He used the word "embellished" to show a sincere tribute, and it is evident that he still loves her. His attempts to win her affection are not triumphant. Ophelia is still too under her father's influence to question his wisdom or authority, and has no mind of her own to understand how much she has made her lover suffer. No matter how much it hurt her not to see Hamlet, all she could see in his current behavior was the madness that terrified her..