Ophelia: No Longer The Classic “Damsel in Distress”

Shakespeare’s Play Hamlet is a bloody tragedy, as it always is. Many classic character archetypes, such as the hero, the mentor, the villain, the trickster, and the ruler, were born from this drama, and one of the most interesting ones is the “Damsel in Distress.” Ophelia is the “Damsel in Distress” of the Hamlet tragedy—at least, that has been said for decades, except not anymore. Lisa Klein wrote the novel Ophelia, which was later adapted into a movie in 2018. The movie follows the story of Hamlet from Ophelia’s perspective, deconstructing the general perspective of Ophelia’s character as the damsel in distress. Before that, we had to understand what a damsel in distress is and why the classic version of Ophelia is classified as one. What is the Damsel in Distress? Along with the title, this character is depicted as a clueless young lady who is vulnerable, dependent, and in need of rescue, as it is w...