Hamlet

Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, calls out this line to Hamlet in act 5, scene 2 when she's overcome by the poison that Claudius has put in a drink intended for Hamlet. Gertrude's death is the first in the...

Hamlet does not sleep with his mother in the play. However, some scholars and performers do interpret the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude as having incestuous undertones.

The quote "The lady doth protest too much, methinks" from Shakespeare's Hamlet signifies that excessive denials can make someone appear insincere. The dramatic irony lies in Queen Gertrude's...

The five most important characters in Hamlet are Prince Hamlet, the Ghost of King Hamlet, Queen Gertrude, King Claudius, and Laertes. These characters drive the main plot, with Claudius's murder of...

If the characters of Hamlet were animals, Hamlet might be seen as a sparrow or a hybrid of various animals. The Ghost could be an owl, Claudius a snake, and Gertrude an elephant or mother hen....

Quotes in Hamlet that suggest an Oedipal relationship between Hamlet and Queen Gertrude include his lament in act 1, scene 2: "O, most wicked speed, to post / With such dexterity to incestuous...

In Hamlet, several characters display guilt. Hamlet feels guilty for delaying his revenge on Claudius and expresses this in Act V. Queen Gertrude feels guilt over her hasty marriage to Claudius and...

In Hamlet, Gertrude is the queen and Hamlet's mother, characterized by her hasty marriage to Claudius, which complicates her relationship with Hamlet. Ophelia, Polonius's daughter, is Hamlet's love...

"Sweets to the sweet" means the flowers Gertrude scatters over Ophelia's grave in Hamlet. Gertrude's gesture contrasts with the priest's harsh statements about Ophelia's suicide, which traditionally...

In the opening of Hamlet, contrasts between scenes reveal key character traits: Gertrude appears emotionally detached and quick to remarry, Claudius is politically shrewd and manipulative, and Hamlet...

Gertrude dies from drinking poisoned wine intended for Hamlet. Claudius is killed by Hamlet with a poisoned sword and forced to drink the same poisoned wine. Laertes is wounded by his own poisoned...

The quote "Frailty, thy name is woman" from Hamlet reflects Hamlet's deep disillusionment with his mother, Gertrude. He perceives her quick remarriage to Claudius as a betrayal and generalizes this...

Gertrude's "willow speech" describes Ophelia's death, suggesting it might have been accidental rather than suicide. Ophelia, in a fragile mental state, climbs a willow tree to hang flower garlands....

The term "muffled queen" refers to Hecuba's humble state after losing her husband, Priam, and her throne, symbolized by a cloth replacing her crown. Her intense crying is due to witnessing Priam's...

Hamlet is expressing his disgust at Gertrude's marriage to Claudius. He contrasts the noble image of his late father with the corrupt Claudius, whom he describes as a "mildewed ear." Hamlet argues...

In Hamlet, the relationships are complex and pivotal to the plot. Hamlet's strained relationship with his mother, Gertrude, and his uncle, King Claudius, fuels his quest for revenge. His friendship...

The failure of love in Hamlet is not just between Hamlet and his mother and Ophelia but also between Hamlet and his best friend, Horatio. The play focuses on the relationship between Hamlet, Horatio,...

In Hamlet, Gertrude and Claudius's relationship is portrayed as complex and morally ambiguous, with undertones of guilt and manipulation. In Branagh's film adaptation, this relationship is depicted...

In Hamlet, the ghost of Hamlet's father instructs him not to harm his mother, Gertrude. Instead, he wants her to be left to her conscience and the natural guilt she feels for her actions, including...

Claudius's ambition is the primary "nemesis" in the play. Hamlet's indecision, Gertrude's weakness, and Laertes' hot-headedness are their own personal "nemeses". The following passage from Act 5...

The interactions between the royal couple, Hamlet, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Polonius in Hamlet highlight themes of deception and manipulation. The royal couple uses Rosencrantz and Guildenstern...

In Act 2, Scene 2, King Claudius is eager to learn the cause of Hamlet's madness, while Queen Gertrude is skeptical, believing it stems from his father's death and their hasty marriage. Polonius...

In Hamlet, characters can be likened to fruits based on their traits. Hamlet is a green banana, unripe and unable to act decisively. Gertrude resembles a peach, beautiful outwardly but flawed inside....