Comparing Gertrude And Ophelia In William Shakespeare's Hamlet

William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is one of the most influential plays of all time. It has been retold numerous times in multiple genres due its popularity. Set in Denmark, the kingdom mourns the death of King Hamlet. Prince Hamlet returns from school to find his mother, Gertrude, marrying his uncle, Claudius. The ghost of Hamlet’s father reveals that he was murdered by Claudius. Hamlet feels the need to avenge his father’s death. Ophelia overcome with grief at the death of her father, Polonius, kills herself and Gertrude’s death by the poisoned cup of Claudius. Shakespeare uses Gertrude and Ophelia to exemplify the themes of grief, betrayal, and compassion.

The women of Hamlet endure the loss of ones close to their hearts, but grieve in

varying ways. Hamlet speaks of Gertrude, in his first soliloquy, “That it should come to this! / But two months dead—nay, not so much, not two” (1.2.137-138). Hamlet speaks of his mother with a sense of disgust that she has remarried to his uncle and failed to observe a full year of mourning for the death of King Hamlet. Her marriage to Claudius goes against the morals of the times; for a widow to marry her deceased husband’s brother is considered incest. Her feelings of desire prove greater than her grief as she shortens the standard grieving period for the time into a mere two months. Gertrude avoids her grief while, Ophelia’s grief conversely overwhelms her. In the great hall of the castle among Gertrude and Claudius, Ophelia sings, “He is dead and gone, lady, He is dead and gone, / At his head a grass-green turf, At his heels a stone. / Oh, ho!” (4.5.29-33). Ophelia sings about the death of her father displaying her grief and madness. Her repetition of “dead and gone” emphasizes the great loss that she suffers. The imagery of a tomb, which she states to be made incorrectly for her father, portrays the unjust death of her father. Ophelia’s grief greatly affected her as it leads her madness and death.
Gertrude and Ophelia betray Hamlet with direct and indirect action against him. In Hamlet’s soliloquy say, “She married. O most wicked speed, to post / With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!” (1.2.156-257). He talks about the immoral marriage between Claudius and Gertrude emphasizing the diction of “incestuous sheets”. The moral code of the time had forbidden such a marriage because Claudius is the brother of King Hamlet making this marriage incest and a betrayal towards her family, Hamlet. Gertrude indirectly betrays Hamlet with Claudius, while Ophelia does the same because of Polonius. Ophelia replies to her father, Polonius, “No, my good lord. But as you did command: / I did repel his fetters and denied / His access to me.” (2.1.106-108). Ophelia was obedient to Polonius as he asked her to avoid Hamlet because Hamlet wants her for the wrong reasons and Polonius treats Ophelia like property and money. She creates imagery that her relationship to Hamlet would chain her like a prisoner in “fetters”. Ophelia’s choice to be obedient to her father was the betrayal of her love and relationship with Hamlet, this choice had ended the relationship she had with him.
Gertrude and Ophelia both prove to have compassion for Hamlet nevertheless they betrayed him.

Gertrude talks to Hamlet, “Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off, / And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. / Do not forever with thy vailèd lids” (1.2.68-70). She speaks to Hamlet worried and distraught about his well-being because she sees him in this erratic state. She uses dictions of “vailèd lids” to accentuate that he needs to open his eyes from the madness. Gertrude tone displays her love for Hamlet that will not cease. She illustrates her concern for Hamlet showing that even though she has betrayed his father and him, that she still loves and is full of compassion for Hamlet. “Polonius speaks to Ophelia telling her, “That hath made him mad./ I am sorry that with better heed and judgment. (2.1.111-112). Polonius apologies for the result of his action to Ophelia as his decision to keep her from Hamlet is what he thinks is the cause of his madness. Polonius response to his daughter, which changes from his possessive tone to an understanding one, shows that he sees her compassion and love for Hamlet furthermore to her choice of obedience to Polonius over her compassion for

Hamlet.
Gertrude and Ophelia display their similarities and difference throughout the play. These two women convey grief, betrayal, and loyalty. The two women suffer grief, but Gertrude returns to a happy state of life into a new marriage, while Ophelia becomes overwhelmed by her grief and leads into her fall into madness and death. Gertrude’s new marriage not only portrays her short grieving period, but also proves to be a betrayal to Hamlet as it is incestuous and doesn’t respect the standard grief period. She also shows deep compassion for Hamlet as she is full of worry about his madness even though she had betrayed him. Ophelia also betrays Hamlet, but by the choice of Polonius and this didn’t cease her compassion as her love for Hamlet remained. Gertrude proves that an excess of autonomy can lead to decision on how it only affects oneself, while Ophelia shows that a complete lack of autonomy leads to a lack of free will. The women of Hamlet together show that a balance of self-control and selflessness proves to be necessary to make rational decisions.