Society's Net

Just as Mark Twain asserted that a person is only a product of society through Huckleberry Finn, Shakespeare does the same with Ophelia. Shakespeare's treatment of her can be described in a few words; she is a woman. As a woman in that society, she is simply a tool to be used by the men. For example, her father commands, "Ophelia, walk you here," and she quietly acquiesces, content with following a man's orders mindlessly because that's all she knows. Polonius uses her in whatever way he can to please the king and thereby ensure his own survival. Her culture traps her with a net from which she cannot escape the customs of society.

However, she is not alone. We are all products of society, and we are all bound by society. For example, even though most (but hopefully all) people now see the subjugation of Africans as highly immoral, if someone was born in the 19th century south, it would be unlikely to see him break from the norm and fight slavery. Just like Huckleberry, most would be confused about what action to take. Free will only allows one to navigate under the net; rarely does one break free from it.