Shakespeare's Hamlet: Similarities Between Gertrude And Ophelia

In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the protagonist, Hamlet, is deprived of support from his mother, Gertrude, and his love interest, Ophelia. Gertrude and Ophelia display many similar characteristics and face similar challenges in the first act of the play. Both Gertrude and Ophelia are naive and at times oblivious to other people’s motivations and feelings, especially those of Hamlet. In addition, Gertrude and Ophelia’s families are averse to the people that they each love. Finally, both of them are ridiculed by a family member in Act I. The similarities between Gertrude and Ophelia in Act I reflect the way in which both characters are weak and therefore unable to assist Hamlet in his time of need.
Both Gertrude and Ophelia are naive and oblivious. When Gertrude speaks to Hamlet about the death of Hamlet’s father, Hamlet Sr., Gertrude seems oblivious as to how sad Hamlet is. Gertrude tells Hamlet that death is a common occurrence and then asks him, “ If it be, why seems it so particular with thee?” (I.ii.77-78) Gertrude asks Hamlet why the
They are oblivious to those they love, and they are ridiculed by their family members, and as a result, they are unable to help Hamlet. Both Gertrude and Ophelia act naive and, at times, oblivious to Hamlet and his needs and his pain. The characters also both love men who are disliked by their family members showing their weakness in the face of their family members. Finally, both characters have family members who make caustic remarks about them. Gertrude and Ophelia’s similarities showcase the difficult situation that Hamlet is in. The two characters who should support him, Gertrude and Ophelia, are both too weak to support him. Since they are weak and unable to help Hamlet, Hamlet has to deal with his father’s death on his own and take matters into his own hands which ultimately leads to the death of Polonius, Laertes, Claudius, and even Hamlet