This is significant because Shakespeare wants us to see Gertrude as someone who despite her flaws is still looking out for her son rather than plotting and scheming against him. Is she weak for going along with the plan? Possibly, but again she is desperate to build bridges and to help her son. Despite the public embarrassment she does not react, suggesting perhaps that she has nothing to hide. We think he did it to gain power. Perhaps she cannot bear to see the pain her son has caused through his murder of Polonius.
She is filled with foreboding. Here Gertrude again recognises that she has sinned — she is probably referring to adultery and incest.
She remains loyal to Claudius in spite of all that Hamlet has told her. She allows her emotions love to take precedence over her sense of right and wrong she should be morally outraged and disgusted by what he has done.
When Laertes enters she tries to keep him calm and then tries to physically restrain him from attacking Claudius. She is terrified that Laertes will kill Claudius before they get a hance to tell him that Claudius did not kill Polonius.
Act 5, scene 2 Final scene Gertrude hopes Hamlet will win his fencing match against Laertes — she wipes his brow, then drinks to his health, accidently drinking from the poisoned cup. Yet there must be something to love in her the Ghost still loves her and despite everything that has happened so does her son. Some of her songs are about old men or fathers dying. Although none of this evidence offers definitive proof, Shakespeare strongly suggests that Hamlet and Ophelia have at least considered consummating their desire.
Once again, Shakespeare leaves the matter of sex ambiguous. Fortinbras is the nephew of the King of Norway. Thus, Fortinbras and Hamlet are in similar situations—that is, both are sons of murdered kings, whose thrones have been usurped by their uncles. Whereas Hamlet finds his situation unbearable and resorts to ineffectual and melancholy contemplation, Fortinbras is a man of action who effectively takes advantage of his situation.
Hamlet himself offers several reasons throughout the play. If the Ghost is a devil rather than the spirit of his father, then the possibility exists that the Ghost aims to manipulate him into committing a sin.
Hamlet consistently reasons his way out of committing violence, suggesting that he is conditioned to be a thinker rather than a man of action. Marcellus is speaking figuratively. He means that something—as yet unknown—is wrong in the country.
It is likely that Hamlet really was in love with Ophelia. Readers know Hamlet wrote love letters to Ophelia because she shows them to Polonius. The tale parallels what Hamlet would like to do himself and feels he should do—kill Claudius for murdering his father. Hamlet may also know that Ophelia is helping Claudius and Polonius spy on him and talks to her with this betrayal in mind.
Laertes is shown to be a hot-headed, vengeful young man, which helps explain why he later conspires with Claudius to kill Hamlet. Ophelia goes mad because her father, Polonius, whom she deeply loved, has been killed by Hamlet. Yet Gertrude still holds Prince Hamlet dearest to her heart, and is willing to take most any steps necessary to ensure his succession to the throne. We might find a useful analogy in the story of a different Claudius.
The famously club-footed Roman emperor by that name married the ambitious Agrippina near the end of his reign, only to have her dominate his policies and eventually murder him so that her son who became the Emperor Nero could ascend to the throne of the Roman Empire Fagan. The important fact is that Gertrude uses this knowledge, which she obviously does not abhor as much as her son does, as a sort of blackmail over Claudius.
Yet at the same time she wishes to keep Hamlet in the dark so he does not endanger his claim to the throne by rashly murdering Claudius in cold blood. Hamlet, for his part, obliges by way of his notorious dithering. I would argue that this back story is plausible within the universe of the play, and a number of lines, delivered with the right touch, would bear out this reading of the character.
However, in my opinion this is an under-written role, and an actress must accomplish through non-verbal means a large portion of the work of character-building. Gertrude must demonstrate strength in bearing and tone, although her weak spot is Hamlet, as will be seen. The queen should be costumed in very regal, yet strong gowns, possibly in dark colors and fabrics that do not connote softness.
A touch of jewelry or feminine makeup will provide the right touch to keep her from seeming shrewish or overly machinating. The queen should enter rooms not deferentially behind the king, but either at his side or even ahead of him. I would argue that the first half of Act II, Scene 2, represents one of the better opportunities for exploring the character of Gertrude.
Hamlet is absent, so we may assume that the Queen has dropped any pretenses concocted for his sake. Only the King accompanies her, with appearances by Polonius and, briefly, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
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