Articles

Hamlet: Foucault, Waanzin en Ophelia

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Abstract

While modern critical views of Ophelia often see her as a woman tragically driven into
madness, or hysteria, this article offers a Renaissance perspective on madness in order to
lend support a more sane view of the character of Ophelia. This alternative view of Ophelia
(inspired by Foucault’s work on the topic of madness) includes a close reading of the
symbolic meaning of Ophelia’s herbs, and argues how madness is used in Shakespeare's
play to convey specific meaning.

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How to Cite: Hall, A. (2013) “Hamlet: Foucault, Waanzin en Ophelia”, Handelingen - Koninklijke Zuid-Nederlandse maatschappij voor taal- en letterkunde en geschiedenis. 67(0). doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/kzm.v67i0.17631