The character of Ophelia is an excellent dramatic element used to develop interpretations of Shakespeare's text. At the beginning of the play, she is happy and in love with Hamlet, who first notices her beauty and then falls in love with her. The evolution of Ophelia's madness and the many factors that contributed to her suicide are important elements of the plot. “His madness was attributed to the extremes of his emotions, which in such a fragile person led to melancholy and ultimately collapse” (Teker, par. 3). The character of Ophelia in Zieffirelli's version is the personification of an innocent girl. “Her innocence is mixed with intelligence, acute perception and erotic awareness” (Teker, par. 13). This Ophelia is the victim of a suspicious lover and an authoritarian father. She is an obedient girl, controlled by her father Polonius, advisor to King Claudius. Therefore, she believed that she had to do whatever her father told her to do, which led her to stifle her love and hurt Hamlet, the man she loved (Hamlet). In Branagh's version, Ophelia is more emotionally mature and physically stronger. The reasons for her madness are the result of "her frustrated romance with [Hamlet] as well as her status as a pawn of all the men in her life" (Hamlet by William Shakespeare; Teker, par. 17). The experiences she has had with Hamlet cause her great anxiety. More precisely, he did not marry her even though he had promised. On Valentine's Day, she alludes to this by singing a song about a servant whose lover also did not marry her as he had promised (Shakespeare 4.5.24-64). She was constantly in conflict between what her father wanted, what Hamlet wanted, and what she wanted. In one scene, Laertes warns Ophelia... middle of paper... he had ruined any chance of being with him. again by his obedience to his father's wishes. Then, in Hamlet's world of lies, deception, love and rules, Ophelia's life came to a tragic end. Works Cited Alleva, Richard. "Hamlet." Commonwealth 124.6 (1997): 18+. Academic OneFile. Internet. January 11, 2011. Foster, Edward E. “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.” Master intrigues. Rev. 2nd ed. Salem Press, 1996. MagillOnLiterature Plus. Internet. January 11, 2011.Hamlet. Real. Franco Zeffirelli. 1990. Warner Brothers, 2004. DVD. Lyons, Donald. "Hamlet." Commentary 103.2 (1997): 58+. Literary Resource Center. Internet. January 11, 2011. Teker, Gulsen Sayin. “Empowered by Madness: Ophelia in the films of Kozintsev, Zeffirelli and Branagh. » Literature-Film Quarterly 34.2 (2006): 113+. Academic OneFile. Internet. January 11, 2011. Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Real. Kenneth Branagh. 1996. Warner Brothers, 2007. DVD.