hysteria-[NL, fr. E hysteric (Fr. hystericus of the womb, Fr. Gk hysterikos, Fr. hystera womb + ikos -ic; Fr. its being originally applied to women thought to be suffering from disturbances of the womb) + NL -ia]
Hysteria, more commonly observed in women than in men, was once supposed to be an exclusively feminine disorder and was blamed on a disturbance of the womb. This belief is reflected in the Greek hysterikos, meaning 'hysterica' or 'of the womb' (from hysteria, 'womb'), a standard term for the womb, and rising of the mother, fits of the mother, and even simply mother were hysterical fits brought on by disturbance of the womb. Shakespeare's King Lear, distressed by his daughters' "unnatural" behavior, puts himself figuratively into a maternal position: "O, how this mother swells up toward my heart! Hysterica passio! Down, thou climbing sorrow!" ("Hysteria," 234).
To put it quite simply: Ophelia is the poster girl of hysteria. Her character epitomizes the passionate, young, beautiful woman pressured by society to the point of a mental breakdown. Originally, hysteria was thought to originate in the womb, and was often thought to be solved by childbirth. In 1870 it was Jean Martin Charcot, father of neurology, who first brought hysteria out of superstition and speculation and into the scientific realm. He believed hysteria to be a "real organic disease, transmitted genetically and associated with presumptive but unidentified changes in nervous tissue" ("Chronology," 1870). Although modern medicine does not recognize "hysteria" today, Charcot helped to de-demonize hysteria with his scientific approach. He attributed hysteria to many of the medieval accounts of demonic possession and witchcraft. According to the ASAP Dictionary of Anxiety and Panic Disorders, by the late nineteenth century, "The disorder called hysteria became a major focus of scientific inquiry. The term hysteria was so commonly understood at the time that no one had actually
taken the trouble to define it systematically" (1870).
Ophelia too was thought to be "hysterical," and in the nineteenth century her character came to represent the "disease." According to Georgianna Ziegler, author of Shakespeare's Unruly Women, "Later in the [19th] century, when photography became the vogue, young women in insane asylums were posed as Ophelia in photographic portraits" (71). The example on the left, a photograph of Dr. Hugh Diamond's patient taken in the 1850's, is one such portrait (Rusche). The flower garland was perhaps the most popular symbol for Ophelia.
This hysterical aspect to Ophelia is probably why the French romantics were so attracted to her.
Although Ophelia is only a single supporting character in one of Shakespeare's plays, her persona lives on in multiple forms. Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century artists especially were obsessed with interpreting and defining her character. The popularity of Ophelia in the art world has lead to many different Ophelias. Some artists portray Ophelia as an innocent, young girl, perhaps because of the Victorian stereotype of what it is to be "ladylike." Others portray Ophelia with strong sexuality, drawing on the technical meaning of "hysterical" no doubt. Still others depict her as some sort of magical being or saint, suggestive of the medieval view of hysteria. The scientific view is also portrayed in art with several visibly neurotic Ophelias.
Our need to revive her
Perhaps one of the reasons Ophelia is such a popular character corresponds with why Romeo and Juliet is such a popular play. It is hope. Just as every time we see Romeo and Juliet, we hope that just this once Juliet wakes before Romeo drinks the poison, we hope that we will be able to revive Ophelia. Undoubtedly, we do not care so much about Ophelia herself, but what she has come to embody. Thus, we have modern books like Reviving Ophelia that discuss how to save the individuality of adolescent girls from becoming lost in the pressures of society.
For more discussion on Ophelia visit Doubt the Stars are Fire: An Ophelia Gallery and Shakespeare Illustrated.
An examination of the death paintings with discussion questions.
