Quote Analysis

Ophelia tries to return gifts Hamlet once gave her, explaining that their value has been destroyed now that Hamlet has turned cold and cruel toward her.

The parallel structure 'Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind' balances two transformations against each other: gifts losing value as givers lose virtue. The verb 'wax' (grow, become) is typically used for something increasing, but here it describes impoverishment, creating a subtle contradiction. Ophelia is articulating a principle—that the worth of a gift depends entirely on the relationship it represents—while also using that principle to shame Hamlet into acknowledging their bond.

Use this to argue that Ophelia, though often read as passive, demonstrates rhetorical skill—she frames returning the gifts not as rejection but as logical necessity, using maxim-like language to put moral pressure on Hamlet without openly accusing him.