Queen Gertrude claims that Ophelia drowned in the river by accident, but perhaps the queen knew more than she was letting on. It could be possible that the queen did in fact love her son in a manner she should not have and that removing Ophelia from the picture was the only answer.
Did Hamlet know of the poison on the sword and in the goblet? Maybe Gertrude knew of this too and that is why she drank from the poisoned goblet? Some critics claim that Hamlet committed suicide in a sense. It seems that once he got his revenge, he died immediately afterwards. In the end of this play, no one wins and they are all dead, leaving the kingdom under completely new rule.
Hamlet is definitely a very complex love tragedy and as with many of Shakespeare's plays, there are many unanswered questions throughout. The play alludes to many different things, but does not pinpoint anything specific. it's easy to speculate today regarding Hamlet, Gertrude and Ophelia, but no one truly knows what Shakespeare was thinking or what he meant.
It is very likely that Hamlet was confused regarding the relationship he had with his mother. He probably did love Ophelia and started out with...
He later realizes that he does love Ophelia, but it's too late. Ophelia was left with an impossible decision. After Hamlet accidentally kills her father, whom who had not been thrilled with the idea of Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship, Ophelia is left with the decision to either be with the man she loved (who had earlier dismissed her) or to have nothing. Without the love of another, many feel as if they have nothing. If Ophelia had chosen to stay with Hamlet, she would have been loving the murderer of her father. This would have been unacceptable on all levels. Ophelia very likely committed suicide because of these facts, especially before she found out for sure if she was pregnant.
Works Cited
Jones, Ernest . "The Death of Hamlet's Father." The International Journal of Psychoanalysis 29 (1948): 174-176. Print.
Preston, South G.. The Secret of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. St. Louis: Abbey Press, 1901. Print.
