Question

the tragedy of hamlet, prince of denmark
act i. scene ii.
king hamlets brother, claudius, is now king of denmark. he has married queen gertrude, the former kings wife and prince hamlets mother. in a speech to the royal court, king claudius defends his decision to marry his former sister - in - law.
a room of state in the castle.
enter king claudius, queen gertrude, hamlet, polonius, laertes, voltimand, cornelius, lords, and attendants.
claudius: though yet of hamlet our dear brothers death
the memory be green, and that it us befitted
to bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom (5)
to be contracted in one brow of woe,
yet so far hath discretion fought with nature
that we with wisest sorrow think on him,
together with remembrance of ourselves.
therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, (10)
the imperial jointress of this war - like state,
have we, as twere with a defeated joy,
with one auspicious and one dropping eye,
why seems it so particular with thee?
which is the best description of how gertrude is characterized in this passage?

• gertrude is critical of her sons continued mourning and urges him to move on.
• gertrude is oblivious to her sons grief and focuses on her own happiness.
• gertrude is sympathetic of her sons obvious distress and tries to comfort him.
• gertrude is saddened by her sons unhappiness and tries to distract him.

Explanation:

In the context of Hamlet's mourning for his father, Gertrude's question "Why seems it so particular with thee?" implies she is questioning his prolonged grief, showing criticism of his continued mourning and a push for him to move forward, rather than being oblivious, sympathetic, or trying to distract in the way the other options suggest.

Answer:

Gertrude is critical of her son’s continued mourning and urges him to move on.