Throughout Hamlet, many characters develop showing their change of mind and emotions. Gertrude, the Queen of Denmark and Hamlet's mother, is an exception. Throughout the entire play she thinks only of herself. Even when she tries to think of or help others, her final decision revolves around her life and how the situation will affect her. Gertrude's selfishness is displayed in her marriage to Claudius, her forcing Hamlet to accept Claudius as his father, and her betrayal of Hamlet to Claudius after Hamlet sees his father's ghost.

Gertrude is continuously selfish throughout the play but, her selfishness began with her marriage to Claudius "but two months dead"(I,ii,138), of her former husband King Hamlet. Because of Hamlet's reaction to his mother's quick marriage, it is obvious that Gertrude had not thought of his feelings but only of her own. He mentions often that Gertrude "married with my...