Hamlet: Argumentative Essay Introduction The purpose of this essay is to analyze the role of Gertrude in "Hamlet", which is counted as one of the famous plays of English language (Thompson and Neil Taylor 74) and the most popular work of Shakespeare (Wells and Stanton 1). This essay will evaluate the role of 'Gertrude', who was the mother of Prince Hamlet and also the title character of the play. Thesis Statement: Gertrude, the wife of late King Hamlet was disloyal to her husband and also responsible…

The Character of Gertrude in Shakespeare's Hamlet It is tempting to condemn Gertrude as evil, but it is probably more sensible to consider her as weak and inconstant. Hamlet's heartfelt line "Frailty, thy name is woman" sums up his view of her actions early in the play. Like many of Shakespeare's women characters, she is "sketched in" rather than drawn in detail. We know that she has a deep affection for her son, which is commented on by Claudius in Act 4 "The Queen, his mother, lives…

The Character Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius, the right hand man of the King. Although she is only in five scenes Ophelia plays an interesting role in this play as the seemingly passive, melancholy, innocent 'little girl' whose story ends in tragedy. From the beginning Ophelia is an obedient character who has real trouble thinking for herself. This could be seen as one of the reasons for her eventual downfall, due to her inability…

The Character of Ophelia in Hamlet In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, the character Ophelia plays an important role in the elaboration of the plot. In the beginning, she is in a healthy state of mind, in love with Hamlet, yet controlled by her father. During the play she has several troubling experiences involving Hamlet - causing her to become distressed. The death of Ophelia's father leaves her mentally unstable and in a state of madness that eventually leads to her own death.…

Hamlet is arguably the greatest dramatic character ever created. From the moment we meet the crestfallen Prince we are enraptured by his elegant intensity. Shrouded in his inky cloak, Hamlet is a man of radical contradictions -- he is reckless yet cautious, courteous yet uncivil, tender yet ferocious. He meets his father's death with consuming outrage and righteous indignation, yet shows no compunction when he himself is responsible for the deaths of the meddling Rosencrantz and Guildenstern…

The Self-Defeat of Heroes in Shakespeare's Tragedies: A Character Analysis of Hamlet and Othello Introduction Aristotle asserted that all tragic heroes had fundamental flaws that were the source of their undoing, and that were typically the source of their initial success, as well. Oedipus thinks he acts with justice, wisdom, and the assurance of success, and these things also cause him to completely destroy himself when he discovers the truth of his situation, as one prominent example. The…

Character of Hamlet in Shakespeare's Hamlet Hamlet is a man of many discoveries. The tragic hero in Shakespeare's Hamlet undergoes many changes throughout the play. His mindset is set deep and far away from the physical world that both helps him and hinders him in his plight for revenge against his uncle, Claudius, and his mother. When Hamlet is first introduced in Act I, Scene II, the reader is shown the depths of his sorrow. The King asks Hamlet "How is it that the clouds still hang…

and could not take care of themselves. Shakespeare’s Hamlet shows how men treated and thought of women during the 1500s. There was an order most did not interfere with; however, some did. In the 1500s, women were supposed to conform to men’s wishes. Throughout the play, Ophelia first obeyed her father and brother’s wishes, ignored the social norms later, and then went mad, which caused her to never gain her own identity. To stay in control, the men in Hamlet taught Ophelia to fear her every day,…

Hamlet: The Character of Ophelia Concerning the Ophelia of Shakespeare’s tragic drama Hamlet, is she an innocent type or not? Is she a victim or not? This essay will explore these and other questions related to this character. Rebecca West in “A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption” viciously, and perhaps unfoundedly, attacks the virginity of Ophelia: There is no more bizarre aspect of the misreading of Hamlet’s character than the assumption…

I do believe that Gertrude is still a mother to Hamlet as well. Gertrude’s care for Hamlet is evident from her first lines in Act 1, wherein she begs Hamlet to “cast nighted color off” in an attempt to bring him out of two months of mourning. This shows her love for him in that she is concerned about him in his sad state of mourning. In Act 2, Gertrude asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern “instantly to visit too much changed son” in order that they might discover the cause of his seeming insanity. This…