This first and foremost female which is portrayed to the audience is Gertrude, who is Hamlet's mother, but at the same time, the newlywed Queen of Denmark. The very first words of Gertrude mark perhaps the most destructive blow to Hamlet, "Good Hamlet, cast thy knighted color off, and let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark ... Thou know'st 'this common, all that lives much die.(1.2.68)" In this scene, she has not only stopped mourning for her recently lost husband and married the new king, Hamlet's uncle, but here she is also trying to persuade Hamlet to forget about his father. Her weakness is shown here as she has just committed the sin of adultery. Instead of mourning, her weakness is basic moral beliefs caused her to follow her bodily desires and live a passionate life with Claudius. It is through these actions that Hamlet relates all women in the famous quote, "Frailty, thy name is woman!"
             Gertrude's weakness is also shown after act 3. Even after her son told her the truth of his father's death, she is unable to give up on the pleasures that Claudius is giving her. As a result, this sends Hamlet into greater insanity which eventually leads to his death. Not until her death does Gertrude tell hamlet "The drink is poisoned." By then, it was already too late.
            
             Ophelia on the other hand, is a character who is portrayed as a victim figure, almost as if she had little thoughts or ambitions of her own and was at the will of the people around her. Throughout the play, many people take advantage of her and use her for their own good. This can be clearly seen right from the beginning of the play as she agrees to stop seeing Hamlet simply because of a few words from her father and brother. Near the end of what seemed to be a simple father, daughter conversation, Ophelia agreed to give up the love of her life as if she was at the whims of her father, "I shall obey, ...