How Does Let Thine Present Gertrude's Relationship In Hamlet

Shakespeare’s Hamlet provides a close look at a son’s relationship with his parents, particularly the way a man’s bond with his mother changes after his father dies. Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is haunted by the violence of his father’s death and the unthinking way in which his mother chooses to wed her dead husband’s brother, the new King Claudius. From his first conversation with the ghost of his father, Hamlet learns that Claudius murdered his father and he grapples with the consequences of

The Gertrude of Shakespeare’s Hamlet       Is Gertrude, in the Shakespearean drama Hamlet, a bore? A killer’s accomplice? The perfect queen? A dummy? This paper will answer many questions concerning Claudius’ partner on the Danish throne.   In her essay, “Acts III and IV: Problems of Text and Staging,” Ruth Nevo explains how the hero’s negative outlook toward Gertrude influences his attitude toward Ophelia:   Whereas it is precisely his total inability to know her [Ophelia]

Hamlet -- the Unlike Characters of Gertrude and Ophelia       The Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet features two ladies who are very unlike in character. Queen Gertrude, denounced by the ghost as faithless to King Hamlet, is pictured as evil by many, while Ophelia is seen as pure and obedient and full of good virtues. Let’s explore these two unlike people.   Rebecca Smith in “Scheming Adulteress or Loving Mother” presents an unusually “clean” image of the present queen that is not consistent

Hamlet: A Feminist Approach Sexism: the belief or attitude that one sex is inherently superior to, more competent than, or more valuable than the other (most commonly used for male superiority). This idea that women are weak is not a new one in the modern world. It has been studied for countless years along with the concept of a patriarchal society. A patriarchy is defined as a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it. Such systems currently

Hamlet’s Sagacious Polonius     One of Shakespeare’s more quotable characters in Hamlet is Polonius, the lord chamberlain of King Claudius’ court. With the help of literary critical opinion, this essay will probe his character. Rebecca West in “A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption” talks about Polonius: Polonius is interesting because he was a cunning old intriguer who, like an iceberg, only showed one-eighth of himself above the surface. The innocuous

In both William Shakespeare’s play, ‘Hamlet’ and in Charlotte Brontë’s novel, ‘Jane Eyre’ the self is an extremely powerful notion. One of the main constraints and one of the main motivators in both texts is the importance and influence of the family. Both texts explore the powerful impact of the family, or perceived family, to define or shape the self and the extent of influence that the family can have to alter, prevent or encourage development of the self. This influence is used effectively by

to the background of most of Hamlet, a passive character who only acts when told to act and who serves as a pretty object all the characters toy with. She doesn’t truly do anything; she just lets people act upon her. Feminist critics look upon Hamlet through many different theoretical lenses that allow Ophelia and her role within Hamlet to be seen in different lights. Elaine Showalter and Virginia Woolf especially provide ways to interpret Ophelia’s role within Hamlet. Foremost of these approaches