The actions of a mother figure have a significant impact on the behavior and actions of her son. This is evident in Hamlet and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. In both of these literary works the writers express women as the villains of the story. In the play Hamlet, Hamlet's mother Gertrude is a cold woman. Only a few months after her husband's tragic death, Gertrude remarries Hamlet's uncle, Claudius. This action shows that Gertrude is not affected by her son's pain. In the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Judy has difficulty managing her autistic son Christopher. She leaves Christopher and her husband to go to London and live with a man named Mr. Shears. Judy's actions This shows that Gertrude is very selfish and reluctant to Hamlet being depressed. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Judy has difficulty raising Christopher. Judy is overwhelmed and angry when Christopher misbehaves. Instead of learning how to deal with Christopher's autism, he lashes out at him and throws food at him. Although Christopher is unable to express emotions, it is clear that his mother's anger scares him into screaming or throwing tantrums. By leaving Christopher, Judy demonstrates that she is not equipped with the resources needed to raise a child with autism. Through different means, both mothers treat their children badly, overall showing their children. Gertrude and Judy both jeopardized their relationships with their children by choosing their partner over them. In Hamlet, Gertrude remarries Claudius shortly after King Hamlet's death. By getting married, Gertrude sacrifices her relationship with her son and Hamlet becomes even more depressed than before. Gertrude's unforgivable behavior affects Hamlet in a negative way because he is unable to trust the other women in his life, such as Ophelia. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Judy sacrifices her life with Christopher for a new life with Mr. Shears. In a letter given to Christopher, Judy writes; “And I think that's when I realized that you and your father were probably better off if you didn't live in that house.” (Haddon 109). This suddenly affects their family in a negative way because Judy suddenly leaves and Christopher is lied to. Despite the fact that Judy is leaving, she still has Christopher's best interests at heart. Gertrude does not evaluate the situation before marrying Hamlet's uncle. By neglecting the needs of their children, mothers both show themselves to be neglectful and