HAMLET ANALYSIS OF FEMALE CHARACTERS GERTRUDE AND OPHELIA

HAMLET ANALYSIS OF FEMALE CHARACTERS: GERTRUDE AND OPHELIA

Both, Ophelia and Gertrude are the only women in the tragedy and they are very important in Hamlet’s life.

OPHELIA • She is Polonius’ daughter and Laerte’s sister; • She belongs to the middle class; • She loves Hamlet but she is not allowed to marry him because they belong to different social classes;

• In Shakespeare’s tragedy Ophelia represents the role of the victim because she is disappointed to the love for Hamlet, that she believes not true. • She appears for the first time in the first act in the third scene when she is speaking to her brother who has to live Denmark. They are speaking about Hamlet and Laerte is warning her to keep attention to the Prince.

• She becomes mad because of his father’s murder and she drowns in a river.

GERTRUDE • She is Hamlet’s mother, and so one of the most important women in his life, and the King’s wife; • She belongs to the aristocracy; • She appears for the fist time in the fist act, in the second scene: there, with the help of Claudius, is trying to explain to Hamlet that all people in the world should die;

• After the king’s murder, she has married Claudius, the King’s brother without feeling guilty to her son, so Hamlet begins to be jealous towards Claudius; • She scarcely mourned her husband's death before marrying Claudius; • At the end of the play, she dies after drinking from Hamlet’s poisoned cup.