How am I supposed to analyse the portrayal of Ophelia in Hamlet

The criteria set by the English A level will ask you to analyse Ophelia in two ways: through various critical perspectives and through a close examination of the text.
Elaine Showalter is a feminist critic who has written some useful articles on Ophelia, mainly favouring the interpretation of Ophelia as a helpless female in a male dominated society. As evidenced in the following two quotations: 'double image of female sexuality as both innocent blossoming and whorish contamination; she is the ‘green girl’ of pastoral, the virginal ‘Rose of May’ and the sexually explicit madwoman who, in giving away her wild flowers and herbs, is symbolically deflowering herself.’ ''Her tragedy is subordinated in the play'This is backed up through her show of obedience in Act 1 Scene 3 where she states: 'I shall th' effect of this good lesson keep As watchman to my heart.'Or seen when Hamlet states 'get thee to a nunnery', where the audience sees Hamlet flippantly cast aside Ophelia when pursuing his own agendas There are also many other progressive interpretations we can take as we look at the portrayal of Ophelia over time.