Song of Ophelia

“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”

—Ophelia, Hamlet Act IV.5

The spirit of Ophelia has long been stirring restless in my dreams. I’ve often wondered if her madness was in any way self-inflicted or merely a culmination of her grief. Whichever the case, as exemplified in the quote above, something hinders her vision of the future. Taken at face value, her statement is true, but I believe it reveals a telling piece at the heart of her character. Perhaps even in the midst of her mad ramblings, Ophelia knew she’d begun to fade—an internal sinking beneath the weight that she or others placed upon herself.

Below you will find my story and contributions from two fellow artists. Each of these pieces converge toward this spirit of Ophelia—a dark but whimsical sort of lucidity, the realization that follows losing yourself. A mad awakening, if you will. The motives of her own madness remain a mystery, left for scholars and the imagination to decide. But the end result is clear. I wanted to explore what might linger beyond that. What regrets might keep Ophelia’s spirit adrift between the veil, causing it to float into such shadows as are found in the quiet depths of the soul, whispering its soft and cautionary song?

A product of these morbid fantasies, this is that tale.

— Song of Ophelia —

a short story by A. E. Corder