Question

the tragedy of hamlet, prince of denmark
act i. scene ii.
king hamlet’s brother, claudius, is now king of denmark. he has married queen gertrude, the former king’s wife and prince hamlet’s 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 brother’s 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.
with which she follow’d my poor father’s body,
like niobe, all tears; why she, even she,—
o god! a beast, that wants discourse of reason,
would have mourn’d longer,—married with mine uncle,
my father’s brother, but no more like my father
than i to hercules...
in this excerpt, hamlet characterizes his mother as
fickle.
sickly.
eager.
loyal.

Explanation:

Hamlet says his mother mourned his father (like Niobe, all tears) but then quickly married his uncle (his father's brother). A beast without reason would mourn longer, implying his mother's mourning was short - lived and she changed her loyalty/affection quickly, which matches the meaning of "fickle" (changing frequently, especially in loyalty or affection). "Sickly" doesn't fit as there's no indication of illness. "Eager" is incorrect as her actions aren't about eagerness. "Loyal" is wrong because she remarried quickly after her husband's death, showing lack of loyalty to her late husband's memory.

Answer:

fickle