Act 1 Scene 3 Of The Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare

Throughout the course of scene 3 of the play “The Tragedy of Hamlet” written by William Shakespeare, there are many hints that lead the reader to believe that Gertrude, Hamlet’s scandalis mother, knew that Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle/ father, killed his father, King Hamlet.
One clue that the reader notices is as Hamlet is telling Gertrude how awful of a person she is and comparing Claudius and his dead father, Gertrude responds with, “Oh, Hamlet, stop! You’re making me look into my very soul, where the marks of sin are so thick and black they will never be washed away.” This statement above displays Gertrudes remorse that she feels and shows that she had done something wrong. Which causes the reader to come to the conclusion that she knew about
Another indication that the reader recognizes is, when she yells, “O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.” The statement above means “Oh Hamlet you have broken my heart in two.” She says this after he tells her to confess her sins and not to lie anymore. The reality has finally set in for Gertrude and she feels guilty. The quote above lets the reader know she has committed a sin and since there whole conversation has been about the killing of King Hamlet, the reader can conclude that she knew Claudius killed King Hamlet.
Another indicator is when Claudius stands up during the play that Hamlet has directed she asks, “How Fares my lord?” The line from the play means, “Are you okay my lord?” From this the reader speculates that she asks Claudius if he is okay, becauses she realizes that the play is exactly the way that he killed King Hamlet. Gertrude knows that she is scared and figures that when Claudius stands he’s scared as well. This act of concern only adds to the reader’s suspicion that Gertrude knew about