The tragedy of Ophelia is often regarded as the most poetically written death in literary history. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia is a young noblewoman and the love-interest of the titular character, who loses her mind as a result of Hamlet’s action and tragically drowns. Ophelia is characterized as someone whose blind obedience to cruel men resulted in her tragic end, and she serves as a representation of how love and trust can often lead to downfall.
“The Fate of Ophelia” by Taylor Swift takes on the compelling perspective of the Shakespearean tragedy and rewrites the narrative in a way that allows Ophelia to escape her fate. In the opening song of her newest album, Swift sings about how genuine love saved her from facing the same fate as the tragic heroine, using various references to the play throughout the song. The verse, “The eldest daughter of a nobleman / Ophelia lived in fantasy / But love was a cold bed full of scorpions / The venom stole her sanity” is the most direct nod to the story of Ophelia, while the majority of the song uses slight nods to her story to center it around Swift and her own experiences. The song, rather than being an exact retelling of Ophelia, serves as a love-letter to Swift’s fiancé, Travis Kelce. Swift seems to credit Kelce throughout the song for saving her from the pain caused by past partners, as it is his love that saves her from a tragic end.
Even her album cover mirrors the iconic painting of Ophelia’s death by Sir John Everett Millais, in which the heroine is depicted laying in a river, singing as she drowns. In the album cover, Swift is submerged in water with her arms in a similar position to that of Ophelia. However, unlike the painting, Swift wears a rhinestone bralette and glamorous makeup. This depiction reflects how Swift’s escape from the fate of Ophelia allowed her to live the life that she wanted, which ultimately was the life of a showgirl.
With the album opening with “The Fate of Ophelia” and ending with “The Life of a Showgirl,” Swift shows how being saved from this tragic fate allowed her to grow into a new person. The entire album is a story of Swift’s self-growth and becoming the person she longs to be. She starts the story as Ophelia and ends it as a showgirl.
“The Fate of Ophelia” serves as a song of empowerment for people who believe they cannot escape a tragic fate. Swift shows her audience that nothing that happens in the past can define who you are, and that the right people will allow you to grow into your best self.