Despite its at times frustrating ineptness, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet remains my favorite tragedy of his. When I took ENL 53: Shakespeare in Pop Culture my sophomore year, we focused on reading Shakespearean works and analyzing their contemporary adaptations. Some of the interesting forms that we analyzed included comic books, video games, and drawings. For our final project, I decided to create a soundtrack to Ophelia’s often-overlooked tragedy within Hamlet to highlight her abuse and also redeem her with healing. Here are a few songs from my assignment and a description of how they portray Ophelia’s journey in Hamlet.
PRESO — Cap. 6: Clasura by Rosalía
This 41-second track is from Rosalía’s album, El Mal Querer. In translation, the narrator says, “Well, for love… I even went down to hell/Of course, I went up with two angels so, I don’t regret going down/But I went down, I went down/It catches you without you noticing. You realize when you leave,/You think: ‘How did I get here?'” I placed this at the beginning of the playlist as though Ophelia were telling her own story, warning that love can both drown one and help them be reborn. The simple change in chords with Rosalía repeating “duele” (pain) in the background creates a foreboding tone that sets the scene for Ophelia’s initial fate in Hamlet.
Too Good by Arlo Parks
Despite describing a slowly drifting couple, Arlo Park’s track has an upbeat vibe to it created by the bouncing guitar and drum beats. This contrast in context and tone reflects Ophelia’s defense mechanisms, attempting to deflect Hamlet’s distant behavior. By repeating “why’d we make the simplest things so hard,” Arlo highlights Ophelia’s frustration with her and Hamlet’s romantic relationship. This line by itself could also represent Ophelia’s complex relationships with her father and her brother, as she is often either chided, neglected, or manipulated by them.
WHEN I WAS OLDER by Billie Eilish
The underwater tone of Billie’s voice combined with the cuts of chanting mirror Ophelia’s inner turmoil resulting from her father’s death. The ringing bell and ever-growing yet chopped voice throughout the song both highlight this and reflect Ophelia’s suicidal thoughts. The line “I’m still a victim in my own right/But I’m the villain in my own eyes” exemplifies Ophelia’s conflicting feelings towards the emotional harm her lover, father, and brother inflicted upon her. The themes of drowning, abuse, and mortality mentioned in the song all serve to reflect Ophelia’s ending in Hamlet.
Hey by Liana Flores
Rather than end her story here, however, Liana Flores’ Hey presents Ophelia’s tale with a more optimistic spin. The sounds of birds in the background intertwined with Liana’s soft and raw guitar playing reflect a moment of contemplation for Ophelia. The sounds of nature and the simplicity of the acoustics illustrate Ophelia’s refusal to let herself drown and instead gather her thoughts and rise from the river. Liana’s comforting lyrics, specifically, “Realize/Dark things have passed/You’re still alive,” mirror a form of emotional support which Ophelia would receive in my version of the play to provide her more agency.
Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton
To finish Ophelia’s tale in a more optimistic way, the last track in her playlist is the very celebratory and emotional track, Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton. This song’s expression of love and peace represents a celebration of Ophelia’s emotional recovery. The numerous voices which sing “…tell the people everywhere that/the flower has come” symbolize the uplifting and supportive community which would have helped Ophelia through this process. By representing Ophelia as “the flower,” this adaptation is a nod to her original death surrounded by flowers but transforms it into a symbol of hope. Therefore, Ophelia’s suicide attempt is a part of her story but does not necessarily define her character.
Whether you’re a Shakespeare scholar, a music nerd, both, or neither, I hope you enjoyed this musical adaptation of Ophelia in Hamlet!