Singing As A Reflection Of Emotions

Singing, a powerful tool for reflecting emotions, has always been an option for people who have difficulty expressing themselves. The emotions and lyrics expressed in songs evoke almost the same feelings in every listener because of their universality. In modern life, we encounter these reflections a lot. When we look back at old times, we see that these reflections were also reflected in theater plays. For example, Shakespeare used music very successfully in his plays to reflect emotions. Music is used from Duke Orsino to Ophelia. Melancholy, sorrow, love, loss, madness, betrayal; all of these are dealt with through music with these characters. Let's take a closer look at these characters to understand how they better reflect their emotions. 

Duke Orsino, in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, uses music as a search for meaning and expressing his emotions. His singing reflects the emotions like melancholy, sorrow, desire and longing. He waits for Olivia's love. This longing and love feed on music. His famous line is "If music be the food of love, play on" reflects the idea of romantic longing. His melancholic nature and infatuation give his line a sad meaning. He appears to be caught up in expectation and consumed by melancholy. 

Ophelia, in Shakespeare's Hamlet, uses her song as a tool to reflect her mentality. Her song is so intense that we can feel the mourning and betrayal. The death of her father and Hamlet's betrayal drove Ophelia to madness. She sings;

“And will he not come again?

No, no, he is dead:

Go to thy death-bed;

He never will come again.”

She reflects her grief. The mental difficulties she experiences throughout the play make Ophelia appear towards the end of the play as a girl who loses her mind and reflects her emotional turmoil through song. Singing brings to the surface the things she can't say and reflect during the play. She tries to reflect the situation, which is challenging for her, by singing. She releases her overwhelming emotions. The audience can easily see Ophelia's mental state and her struggle.