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She appears to be completely loyal to him up to the point where Hamlet says (in the closet scene) "Almost as bad, dear mother, as kill a king, and marry with his brother." Hamlet is accusing his mother of the murder of his father, but Gertrude is astonished and horrified by the suggestion. As the conversation goes on, she realizes that Claudius has murdered Hamlet Sr. for her.

As a result of this insight, she is more cautious with Claudius from this point on. When Claudius asks what has happened, she feeds him the line that Hamlet has taught her--that Hamlet was crazy when he killed Polonius. That's not strictly the truth and she knows it, but her loyalty is shifting from Claudius to Hamlet. Some commentators have said that Claudius' line "Oh, Gertrude, Gertrude, when sorrows come they come not single spies but in battalions" refers among other things to his knowledge that Gertrude is more distant than she was.

In some productions, Gertrude drinks the poisoned drink knowing it to be poisoned, thus protecting Hamlet, foiling Claudius' plan and redeeming herself from her part in her husband's murder in one stroke.

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Gertrude is examining herself and her actions in hastily marrying Claudius which Hamlet blames her so completely for, which is exactly what Hamlet wants. But it could be that it is the revelation that Claudius was the murderer of her first husband that is causing her concern, and that the spots she sees on her soul are her failure to examine Claudius's character more closely before marrying him. That is, Hamlet thinks that Gertrude was wrong to marry Claudius at all, whether because of worship of his father, or aversion to Claudius, but Gertrude may be regretting her marriage to Claudius only because it appears that he committed murder so he could marry her, not because of any other reason.


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Hamlet's mother is Gertrude. She is the queen of Denmark and is married to Claudius. She was originally married to Old Hamlet before he was murdered by Claudius. Gertrude is a weak woman that needs a man around her (ie. her quick marriage to Claudius). Gertrude loves Hamlet dearly, but also watches as Hamlet is sent away to his death.


What does the ghost reveal to Hamlet about Claudius and Gertrude?

He reveals that Claudius murdered him. He doesn't tell Hamlet anything about Gertrude he didn't already know.


Why does Gertrude marry so quickly in Hamlet after her husbands death?

Some folks have speculated that Gertrude is the type of woman who will quickly gravitate to the most powerful man around. When Hamlet Sr. died, the most powerful person was Claudius so she gravitated to him. Others might say that things were pretty far advanced between Claudius and Gertrude before the murder and so it was a short step from there to marriage. Claudius says, "I am still possessed of those effects for which I did the murder: my crown, my own ambition, and my queen." Being able to marry Gertrude was clearly part of his motive for the murder so he must have known beforehand that he would get somewhere with her.


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How quickly did hamlets mother marry claudius after her husband dies?

Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, married Claudius just two months after the death of her husband, King Hamlet. This swift remarriage is a source of deep distress for Hamlet, who feels betrayed and disgusted by his mother's actions. The hasty union raises questions about Gertrude's loyalty and the nature of her relationship with Claudius, contributing to the play's themes of betrayal and moral corruption.


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