The Relationship Between Gertrude and Shakespeare's Hamlet

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"O most pernicious woman (1.2.105)!" This proclamation by Hamlet foretells of his ultimate surmise. Hamlet throughout Shakespeare's work is a strong character. It seems that he has the upper hand in every situation. This statement however, is a reflection of weakness. His destruction stems from the inability to accept Claudius as father. More importantly though, his mother's rush to remarry has caused more of inflated persona in Hamlet. His inability to interact with the people around him makes room for a lot of debate. Despite the estrangement, Hamlet is able to expose truths about his nature with Gertrude and Horatio. Gertrude, for whom he related the above quote, is the most intriguing to examine. It is with her that we see a divide in loyalty. She is loyal to the king, her husband, but possesses a natural bond with Hamlet that any mother/son shares.

Despite the harsh feelings Hamlet may possess about his mother's marriage, he maintains somewhat of a respect for his mother. In the first act of the play his mother requests that he remain in Denmark, inst...

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