Objects of Substance - Ophelia

Brisbane Grammar School and Brisbane Girls Grammar School Senior Play Program, Hamlet , 2003.

Brisbane Grammar School and Brisbane Girls Grammar School Senior Play, Hamlet , 2003.

As with Francesca Bianchi’s portrayal of Ophelia, Bleakley effectively captures Ophelia’s innocence and vulnerability but, at the same time, implies her unwillingness to yield. Although, she first appears to be subjugated and defeated, some see a quiet strength and loyalty. This dichotomous quality would be most familiar to generations of Year 12 Grammar girls who studied the play, and perhaps especially the 2023 cohort who, only last week, wrote their external exam on Hamlet .

Susan Bleakley, Ophelia (detail), 1999, bronze, Brisbane Girls Grammar School Collection.

Ophelia has traversed the boundaries of play, theatre, film, reimagined storytelling, music, and art. In Bleakley’s sculpture, Ophelia is forever young. As she shields her body from the viewer’s voyeuristic gaze, there is a strength about her. In her speech to Hamlet, she defends herself. As one of the two female characters in the play, her story has taken on a life of its own. Bleakley chose to empower her