Two notes:

1. if you see this on your feed for a second time, im so sorry. i didn't know how to format my post right, messed it up, panicked, deleted the post and now have to write it all out again. yes, these are tears upon my face thank you for asking.
2. this is my first forum post and i'm nervous and i just want to mention the length. i am aware it's egregious. i am many things but never brief. if there is a pagebound policy against such unorthodox length, someone please tell me.

I like Ham Sandwhich. He's moody, a little sassy, and he's got some valid points (you're right, bro, your weird uncle-dad IS kinda shady.) BUT The way he treats Ophelia. It's rude and it's cruel and I won't have it and I won't excuse it. I also don't understand it...?? I'm of the opinion that Hammy is not actually Mad but is well, you know...hamming it up for the effect. I also think he really did love Ophelia. So to me the whole hallway/nunnery scene seems to come out of nowhere.

If Hambo is in his right mind, and he DOES love Ophelia, why on the Good Green Land does he treat her the way that he does????

Behold, My Half-Baked, None-Peer Reviewed Theory. When Hamsalad meets Ophelia in the hall, it would seem that he has become genuinely distressed. Distressed by what's happened (such as his dad being murdered), by the world in general (Denmark is to him a prison), and by his own person (he considers himself an ass See Act 2, Scene 2). The famous To be or not to be scene-in which he considers whether to, quite literally, be or not be-has just happened. Bro is going through some stuff. He then sees Ophelia, and tells her that he lied to her, he doesn't love her, and he could accuse himself of such things "that it were better if (his) mother had not borne (him)..."

Herein lies my theory: What if Spamlet is acting like he loveth Ophelia not, as a way to protect her? By his letters, and hearsay, I consider it a truth that he loved her, but he is now so involved in sorting out his father's murder, that he has no time nor freedom to be with her. He thinks perhaps that he is not worthy of her (??). He is a miserable man who must pursue this vengeful quest unto whatever bloody end, and that is nothing for Ophelia to be a part of. He thinks he protects her from the situation, and from himself, a self-proclaimed ass, and "arrant knave". So. He acts crazy and Mean and Rude, all in the hopes that he will force her away from himself, damaging their relationship so completely that he will have removed her from harm's way and protected her. It's an Act, a put on show, an attempt to manipulate things the way he wants and needs.

It gives me a level of satisfaction to think to myself that all the while Ham is going a-wall, inside he is crying, and his heart is being ripped to pieces but he has to say it because he's protecting her and I like it because it's really melodramatic and Sad and I love that.

Is my theory sound? I know not. I understand Shakespeare very poorly. There is clearly a lot more going on in this scene than the little bit that I'm building my case off of. I have read precious little of what other, wiser, more learned people have to say on this topic. This is a flying-by-the-seat-of-my-breeches theory.

I would like to add that a lot of Piglet's behavior towards Ophelia could just be good ol' misogyny. Yay! We also know that he seems to have a partiality towards the whole One Woman (My Mom) Bad. All Women Bad. idea, in which case, he probably would have said the same things to any person passing by who happened to be Not A Man, and Ophelia just happened to be in his line of fire. Go eat rocks, Hamlet.

I do not excuse his behavior, I only use this theory to pretend that even while he was going on and on about the nunnery and all that, he had a half-ish ok reason for doing it?? Except he shouldn't have done it, and not to Ophelia, who happens to be one of two persons in this whole story that did not deserve such behavior. Hamleg should be in jail for this.

Does anyone else have any theories as to why Hamlet was so cruel to Ophelia?

Jane Eyre has a series of about eleven episodes and I think it would be fit to add it to this Quest!

As a teenager I related so deeply to Katniss. As an adult I recognise how angry she is at the world and the unfairness of it all. Definitely have a new level of respect for Suzanne Collins.

ik this is meant to be YA, but the writing sounds so childish, i can’t take it seriously. it does remind me of criminal minds though

"I will try confusions with him"

This made me laugh as sometimes we talk like this with my friends, I never knew we speak Shakespeare language 😆.

"I will try confusions with him"

This made me laugh as sometimes we talk like this with my friends, I never knew we speak Shakespeare language 😆.