Hamlet

by William Shakespeare

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Why does Hamlet repeatedly say to Ophelia, "Get thee to a nunnery"?

brittanie...

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High School - 12th Grade

Posted by brittaniekaye on November 22, 2009 at 3:11 AM and tagged with hamlet, ophelia

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jseligmann

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High School - 11th Grade

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Hamlet says to Ophelia, "Get thee to a nunnery" so that she will stop enabling people, like her father, Polonius, to spy on Hamlet and undermine him:

HAMLET:

Get thee...

(The entire answer is 254 words.)

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Posted by jseligmann on November 22, 2009 at 9:00 AM

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mseverson

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Elementary / Primary

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There is also the irony inherent in the statement. Euphemistically Hamlet is identifying Ophelia as a whore.

Posted by mseverson on November 22, 2009 at 11:43 AM

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housemd11

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High School - 12th Grade

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Ha Ha. One of my favorite parts in Hamlet! I believe that here Hamlet is displaying his  sincere love for Ophelia and wants to protect her from "destruction." Maybe I'm a bit old-fashioned in my views. Anyway, hope it helps to see the line in somewhat a different light.

Posted by housemd11 on November 24, 2009 at 2:12 AM

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