Comparing Gertrude And Ophelia

Not only are Gertrude and Ophelia being drawn towards two different beliefs by the men in their lives, but they are both incapable of making their own decisions and completely clueless and powerless about their own lives. When talking to Polonius about her relationship with Hamlet, Ophelia proclaimed, “I do not know, my lord, what I should think” (I.iii.113). This illustrates her weakness, and her lack of knowledge and power over what she can and would like to do. Swaying back and forth between ideas, Ophelia cannot on her own settle on what she should think, never mind what she should do. Hamlet, on the other hand, feels a sense of purpose and refuses to stray from his ideals. The weakness and indecisiveness of Ophelia act as foils to exemplify