Final answer:
Hamlet calls the Queen's tears 'unrighteous' because they seem insincere compared to the deep betrayal he feels, a complexity analyzed by T.S. Eliot as a lack of 'objective correlative' to reflect Hamlet's intense emotions.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of Shakespeare's Hamlet, the protagonist refers to his mother's tears as "unrighteous" because he perceives them as insincere and not genuinely reflecting the magnitude of the betrayal and moral corruption that he associates with her actions, notably her hasty remarriage following his father's death. Hamlet's emotional state is complex and is heightened by disgust and a sense of betrayal, which he finds disproportionate to his mother's seemingly indifferent and insignificant character.
Hamlet struggles with the fact that his mother's character and actions do not adequately encapsulate or mirror the intensity of his emotions. This discrepancy between Hamlet's inner turmoil and his mother's demeanor is rooted in what T.S. Eliot terms as an "objective correlative," or the lack thereof—an external set of events, objects, or situations that would justify and reflect the protagonist's emotional state. The disparity is such that no potential action or plot advancement seems capable of fully expressing Hamlet's complex feelings.
The intense and inexpressible emotions that Shakespeare instills in Hamlet stem from a deep psychological conflict regarding his mother, Gertrude. This underlying emotion is a critical factor influencing the play's themes and the protagonist's relationship with his mother, making the character of Hamlet an enduring subject of analysis and interpretation.