Did Hamlet ever really love Ophelia?

First off, in Act 1: Scene 3, Ophelia tells Polonius that Hamlet had hinted at his love for her in the past. "He hath, My lord, of late made many tenders of his affection to me." (100). In response to this revealing new bit of information, Polonius says "Affection? Pooh! You speak like a green girl, unsifted in such perilous circumstance." (102). He believes that Hamlet's so-called affection is nothing but a passing fancy that will fade as time goes by. Hamlet is still immature and wreckless in his youthful pursuits of love in his opinion.

After Hamlet appears before Ophelia in his maddened state, he manages to write letters to her in his distrought condition. Ophelia says "No, my good lord, but as you did comman I did repel his letters and denied his access to me." (Act 2:2, line 109). This suggests that he was calling out for help after the true news of his fathers murder was unvieled. Polonius thinks "that hath made him mad" (110). It may have not have driven him insane, but it could have conjured up bitterness towards Ophelia for her lack of response.

In act 3 scene 1 Hamlet is speaking with Ophelia when he tells her that he did love her in the past. "Ay, truly, for the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what is to a bawd than the force of honesty can translate beauty into his likeness. This was sometime a paradox, but now time gives it proof. I did love you once" (112). As discussed earlier, his love faded with time; it is true that he did once love her. He describes the relationship between them as something that was fake and dishonest. It was only a fanciful glimmer of youthful love.