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"Have you forgot me?"
Context and Language Videos
Act 3,
Scene 4
Lines 14b-21

A discussion of the confrontation between Hamlet and Gertrude in Act 3, Scene 4 of myShakespeare's Hamlet.

myShakespeare | Hamlet 3.4 “have you forgot me?”

Hamlet

                                          What's the matter now?    

Gertrude

Have you forgot me?

Hamlet

                                    No, by the rood, not so.
You are the queen, your husband's brother's wife,
And, would it were not so, you are my mother.    

Gertrude

Nay, then, I'll set those to you that can speak. 
[Gertrude starts to leave. Hamlet angrily prevents her from leaving]  

Hamlet

Come, come and sit you down, you shall not budge!
You go not till I set you up a glass
Where you may see the inmost part of you.
Video Transcript: 

SARAH: Gertrude is astonished that her son would speak this way to her: after all, she's both his mother and his queen. She says "Have you forgot me," in other words, have you forgotten who you're talking to?

RALPH: And Hamlet replies, "No, I haven't forgotten who you are. You're the queen who married her own husband's brother; and — though I wish it weren't true — you're also my mother!" — this last bit implies that Hamlet's so shocked and ashamed of what Gertrude's done, that he wishes they weren't related.