Music critics generally praised “The Fate of Ophelia” for its composition, dynamic production, and the literary lyricism, while some were dissatisfied with the conventional tropes of the lyrics. Commercially, the single broke the global records for the most streamed song in a day and a week on the streaming platform Spotify. It peaked atop the Billboard Global 200 and became Swift’s first number-one single in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands. In the United States, “The Fate of Ophelia” spent 10 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, marking Swift’s longest-running number-one song. It also topped the Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay charts, becoming the first song in history to debut in Pop Airplay’s top-10 region.

Swift wrote and directed the song’s music video, which premiered as part of the album’s promotional film, The Official Release Party of a Showgirl. The video draws on various historical, cultural, and artistic inspirations of female performers, portraying Swift as showgirls throughout different periods of time and incorporating hints at other songs of The Life of a Showgirl. She worked with the cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, the choreographer Mandy Moore, and the production designer Ethan Tobman on the video, and cast her band and dance crew from the Eras Tour—the tour that inspired the album. Both the song’s lyrics and video feature references to Swift’s fiancé, the football player Travis Kelce.