Why does the queen agree to go see Ophelia?

Answer 1

Hamlet looks to make Claudius feel guilty in order to confirm his suspicions that Claudius killed his father. "The play's the thing, In which I'll catch the conscience of the king."

Additionally the play looks to show Gertrude her lack of loyalty to her dead husband (Hamlet's father).

Answer 2

Like many parts of the play, this is open for interpretation. I believe, however, that it is because of Shakespeare's portrayal of the frailty and shortcomings of women in the play, that Ophelia was weak and unable to represent her own views.

Answer 3

It is by no means clear that she does. Claudius has arranged for Hamlet to leave Denmark to go to England. The public reason is that the English have not paid money they owed to the Danish and Hamlet has gone to collect it. As to why Hamlet has been selected for this job, the gravedigger speculates it is to recover his sanity, and that is the reason Claudius at first gives for it ("it shall expel that something-settled matter in his heart"). But after Hamlet kills Polonius, Claudius decides to give a secret command to have Hamlet killed ("Do it, England"). He does not tell Gertrude about this.

Later, after Hamlet's return, he plots with Laertes to kill Hamlet at the Fencing match. Gertrude doesn't know about these plans. If she had "gone along" with the plan to offer Hamlet a cup of poisoned wine, she wouldn't have drunk it herself. (Actually, in some productions, she realizes during the fencing match that the wine is probably poisoned and drinks it to keep Hamlet from drinking it, but either way Hamlet doesn't die from it)

Answer 4

She loves him. And before you start to protest, think about how much of your opinion of Claudius has been formed on the basis of what Hamlet thinks about him. His very first line disses Claudius: "A little more than kin and less than kind." Oh, come on! In what way is Claudius unkind? Shortly afterwards, Claudius names him heir to the throne. Hamlet goes on and on snarking at Claudius in his "O that this too too solid flesh" soliloquy ("no more like my father than I to Hercules"), and in his conversations with Horatio ("a custom more honoured in the breach than in the observance.") And yet, if you try to look at Claudius with Gertrude's eyes, you see a shrewd diplomat who can deal swiftly and efficiently with Fortinbras (and who later will deal even more efficiently with Laertes), who is cool and resourceful and who loves Gertrude very much indeed. Why shouldn't she love him? She does not suspect that he has murdered Hamlet Sr. to get her--or not at first at any rate. She probably suspects the truth only after the Closet Scene at the end of Act III. But, in Act IV, she continues to try to protect Claudius from Laertes because she still loves him.

Answer 5

This is open to interpretation like many aspects of Hamlet. One could say that it was for wealth, while others may say it was for love.

Answer 6

She is accustomed to do what her father tells her. If you hadn't already figured it out, Ophelia is really quite a weak person, and is easily led by the men in her life.