Ophelia- the odd woman out

In Hamlet, the character Ophelia seems very strange and seems to serve a particular purpose. So far, the reader has seen Ophelia as a loving daughter, a caring sister, a timid lover, and a mad woman. These are a lot of roles for one character to fill; even with Hamlet, the reader only sees him as a vengeful son and an insane prince. Because of these many roles she plays, she is different. She acts as an element that holds the storyline together and move it along when it is necessary. For example, at the end of act four, Ophelia's actions serve as an impetus to the play's story line while also adding an additional layer of complexity. Not to ruin act four for anyone who has not read it yet, but Ophelia falls into a creek and drowns.  This throws Laertes back into a crazed rage Claudius just calmed him down from. Ophelia also embodies many of the play's themes, such as madness and tragedy. Once she loses her father, she seems to fall off the proverbial deep end. Later, her madness leads to her tragic death when she decides to sing to herself instead of trying to get to shore. Ophelia is an odd character who ties many aspects of Hamlet together.