ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Gertrude is Hamlet’s mother and Queen of Denmark. She was married to the murdered King Hamlet (represented by the Ghost in the play) and has subsequently wed Claudius, his brother. Her close relationships to the central male characters mean that she is a key figure within the narrative.

Detailed explanation-2: -Therefore, marrying Claudius was possibly the only way for Gertrude to keep the crown in the same family and give Hamlet a chance to be a king but also delay his ascension to the throne. This scheme works only with the assumption that Gertrude loves her son.

Detailed explanation-3: -Though Claudius professes love and admiration for Gertrude, he never confides to anyone the extent of their relationship. Gertrude describes her love for Hamlet when she asks him not to return to Wittenberg.

Detailed explanation-4: -Gertrude betrays Hamlet and the late King Hamlet by marrying Claudius. Hamlet, being still depressed about his father’s death was further upset and felt betrayed by his mother when she quickly married Claudius.

Detailed explanation-5: -At that moment, the Ghost reappears, and the guards and Horatio decide to tell Hamlet. Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, married Hamlet’s recently-widowed mother, becoming the new King of Denmark. Hamlet continues to mourn for his father’s death and laments his mother’s lack of loyalty.