Ophelia describes Hamlet as having been very disheveled and frightening looking.
Ophelia is in love with Hamlet, and he was supposedly in love with her. However, he has been acting very strange lately. His behavior frightens Ophelia. She describes to Polonius how she saw Hamlet when she was sewing. He appeared very distracted, his clothes were disorderly, and his behavior was erratic.
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced;
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,
Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosed out of hell … (Act 2, Scene 1)
Of course, Hamlet is playing with Ophelia. It is sad really. He needs her to sell his crazy act. She bought it completely. In case she wasn't really convinced, he also dumped her with the most offensive and demeaning break-up speech ever.
Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a
breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest;
but yet I could accuse me of such things that it
were better my mother had not borne me: I am very
proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at
my beck than I have thoughts to put them in … (Act 3, Scene 1)
Ophelia doesn’t understand what is wrong with him or what she might have done to deserve this harsh treatment. He must have always seemed like a sincere and upstanding youth before. She described him that way. However she is probably starting to believe the advice her brother Laertes gave her when he told her that Hamlet would betray her honor and then move on.
He messes with her again during the play when he says terrible things to her, further convincing her and anyone else who may be listening that he is completely mad. He wants to get Claudius to confess to King Hamlet's murder. Ophelia is just the means to an end. She is collateral damage.
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