In William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Gertrude is Hamlet's mother and Queen of Denmark. She watches as Ophelia drowns, the girl singing and acting in absolute madness. Gertrude is the one who reports this drowning to the court.
(Also for Three Word Wednesday and ABC Wednesday: "I" is for "immersion.")
For our quiz this week, let’s talk about Ophelia.
Ophelia would seem to have everything going for
her. She is a young, attractive noblewoman
in the Danish court. She is sort of the
epitome of goodness. She is much loved
by her father and brother, who take great pains to shelter her.
At one time young Prince Hamlet seemed to be in love
with her too, but recently he has ceased treating her with respect and
tenderness. At times he is almost brutal
with her. She has become well aware of
the harsh realities of life.
There were those – the Queen herself was one of them
– who thought Ophelia should marry Hamlet; they would make a perfect
couple. But it was not to be. She was not of royal blood; she could not
marry a prince.
She lost her mother, probably at birth. As the play unfolds her beloved father is
killed. Her frailty and
innocence work against her when she learns that it was the man she loves,
Hamlet, who killed him. She cannot cope
with the unfolding of one traumatic event after another.
She reaches the point where she has endured all that
she is capable of enduring and goes insane.
She wanders about, giddily singing lewd songs that shock the
King and Queen, serving as reminder that the corrupt world has taken its toll
on the pure Ophelia.
Needless to say, Ophelia dies by
drowning. Was this an accident or was it
suicide? We don’t know the answer to
that question.
The voluminous dresses, the huge amount of clothing, women wore in
those days actually held her up for a while in the water but when they became
soaked she sank to her death.
Her clothes
spread wide;
And, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up:
Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes;
As one incapable of her own distress.
But long it could not be
Till that her garments, heavy with their drink,
Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay
To muddy death.
And, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up:
Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes;
As one incapable of her own distress.
But long it could not be
Till that her garments, heavy with their drink,
Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay
To muddy death.
And on that tragic note we come to our weekly quiz
question: who reported Ophelia’s drowning to the court?
19 comments:
Gertrude, the Queen, is the first to mention Ophelia's death. It comes during the Queen's soliloquy, or monologue.
Altonian, as has happened so often before, is first with the right answer.
Queen Gertrude!
Hank
The correct answer has just arrived from kaykuala.
My mother's, and maternal grandmother's name was Gertrude. Let's try that.
Nothing in her life became her like the leaving it. Sorry, couldn't resist after it popped, unbidden, into my mind.
If it isn't a minor character, I'd guess Queen Gertrude.
Our congrats go to Roger Owen Green and naturgesetz, both with the right answer.
Queen Gertrude - made a speech about her death..
Truedessa just dropped in with the correct answer.
Queen Gertrudem methinks?
To be or not to be, that is the question?
Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.
Another right answer, this time from Trubes.
Yaaaay !
I think it was the Queen (Gertrude) with her willow branch speech????
Gertrude, Queen of Denmark is the one that announces her drowning to Ophelia's brother Laertes.
Hildred and Old Egg have both coughed up the correct answer.
Queen Gertrude
A correct answer from Sheilagh Lee.
Thank you for such an informative post Berowne..accident or suicide..i believe such an act can be both depending on the thoughts you have as you float in the water...did she have stones in her pocket like Virginia Woolf?
Queen Gertrude? I know I am late......but have been quite busy- Have a great weekend!
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