A Comparison of Hamlet’s Gertrude and Ophelia Essay -- William Shakes

A Comparison of Hamlets Gertrude and Ophelia Queen Gertrude and Ophelia, the main female characters in Shakespeares dramatic tragedy Hamlet, have a variety of personal qualities and experiences in common. This essay, with the help of literary critics, will explore this commonality. In the Introduction to Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet, David Bevington enlightens the reader regarding the similarities between Gertrude and Ophelia as the torpedo sees them Yet to Hamlet, Ophelia is no better than another Gertrude both are tender of heart but submissive to the will of importunate men, and so are forced into uncharacteristic vices. Both would be other than what they are, and both receive Hamlets exhortations to begin repentance by abstaining from pleasure. Get thee to a nunnery Assume a virtue if you have it not. (9) As Bevington says, both Gertrude and Ophelia are tender of heart, motivated by love and a desire for quiet familial harmony among the members of their state ly society in Elsinore. At the first social function in the play, Gertrude is motivated out of love for her son to advise Dear Hamlet, cast thy dark color off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not for ever with thy vailed lids Seek for thy noble don in the dust. (1.2) Likewise does she ask that the prince remain with the family Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet, / I pray thee stay with us, go not to Wittenberg. Later, when the heros suppose madness is the big concern, Gertrude lovingly sides with her husband in the analysis of her sons condition I doubt it is no other but the main, / His fathers death and our oerhasty marriage. Later she confides her family... ...NJ Hayden Book Co., Inc., 1973. Jorgensen, Paul A. Hamlet. William Shakespeare the Tragedies. Boston Twayne Publ., 1985. N. pag. http//www.freehomepages.com/ small town/other/jorg-hamlet.html Kermode, Frank. Hamlet. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974. Pennington, Michael. Ophelia Madness Her Only Safe Haven. Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from Hamlet A Users Guide. New York Limelight Editions, 1996. Pitt, Angela. Women in Shakespeares Tragedies. Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego Greenhaven Press, 1996. Rpt. from Shakespeares Women. N.p. n.p., 1981. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http//www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html