John Everett Millais’ famous painting, Ophelia, is one of the most famous artistic renditions of this Shakespearean character for good reason. His painting is both beautiful, and colorful, yet sad and fragile as well. Ophelia, with her bouquet in her hand, floats in a stream surrounded by flowers and natural beauty. The beauty of both her story and this painting have endured, so here is a playlist to commemorate Millais’ and Shakespeare’s works.
“Ophelia” by The Lumineers:
This song might be low-hanging fruit, but I’m still going to include it on this list because not only is it actually based on Ophelia, it’s just a good song in general.
“Achilles Come Down” by Gang of Youths:
Ripe with classical imagery, this song encapsulates everything about Ophelia’s story: doomed love, loss of hope, and intrusive thoughts.
“Washing Machine Heart” by Mitski:
Washing Machine Heart accurately describes the feeling of being willing to give everything to someone who wouldn’t do the same in return.
“And birds are still… Op. 72” by Yoshimatsu:
This composition by Yoshimatsu has a melancholy yet restful quality that perfectly sums up Millais’ painting’s mood.
“The Last Man on the Earth” by Wolf Alice:
Wolf Alice’s quiet and mournful song about the damages of self-centeredness is just the wake-up call that Hamlet needs.
“Runaway” by Aurora:
Escapism and fleeting feelings of nostalgia? What could be more Ophelia-coded?
“Apocalypse” by Cigarettes After Sex:
A song about moving on from past abuses and learning to embrace what comes next.
“Sea, Swallow Me” by Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd:
The wishy-washy vocals with the slow and repetitive motif give the listener an inside look into the troubled whirlwind of Ophelia’s mind.
“Line Without a Hook” by Ricky Montgomery:
Another pining song about not feeling good enough. The earnest and yearning vocals in this song perfectly emulate Ophelia’s struggles with her own relationship.
“Poet” by Bastille:
We don’t know if Shakespeare or Millais thought that they were creating a timeless character and image when they were making their respective works, but a song about someone being immortalized through art certainly fits the situation.
“Cough Syrup” by Young the Giant:
I’m convinced that Ophelia herself would have strongly related to Cough Syrup’s bright sound and lyrics about escaping from the world you’ve known.
Ophelia, By John Everett Millais. Tate