Hamlet: The Bond is Broken In today’s world, when you think of a mother-son bond, you think of their bond being strong, loving, and much like a father-daughter bond. That bond was broke between Gertrude and Hamlet, after his father, Old Hamlet murder. You can see that throughout the whole play, in some scenes more than others. In Hamlet’s mind, the mother-son bond could have still been there if his mother had not gone off to marry his uncle Claudius. “Frailty thy name is women.” is Hamlet speaking about the weak insecure marriage between his mother and his father’s brother Claudius right after everyone found out about the death of Old Hamlet. Gertrude’s own son Hamlet felt betrayed by his own mother. One can only imagine what was going through …show more content…
Or was she with him only so she could be the Queen? What is difference from today to back then is the support his mother did not give him after his father passed. Usually the mother-son bond would grow stronger, and they would support each other through the tough time they are both going through; or at least Hamlet is going through. Hamlet does not see his mother the same way anymore. You can tell by the word and attitude he had towards her, in Act 3 scene 4, Hamlet states, “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.” When reading that certain line, one could tell, there is hardly a bond at all between Hamlet and Gertrude. Hamlet is saying he wishes Gertrude was not his mother at the end of that line. Hamlet then goes on to ask, how she had done such an act? To marry Claudius so soon after his passing, and lie about the vows she had read to Claudius at the wedding. Hamlet might have been thinking in this situation: how can one person read vows to her son’s father, and then go off and say the same vows to her husband’s brother? The man who also happened to be her brother in-law. As Gertrude was made to look in a mirror at herself, in act 3 scene 4,
There was an unbreakable bond between mother and son that was completely destroyed when a mother married her husband’s brother. Gertrude and Hamlet are not as close as it seems. Hamlet’s feelings had changed towards his mother after she betrayed his father. Hamlet shows his true colors for his mother when he says,
The relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude is strained at first. From the beginning of the play to act III, Hamlet is bitter with his mother. He feels this way because it has been less than
In Hamlet, Queen Gertrude’s relationship with Hamlet is affected by her decision to happily marry King Claudius immediately after the death of King Hamlet I. The marriage causes distress within Hamlet and supports his determination to kill
After a long conversation between Hamlet and Gertrude, where, among other things, he practically orders his mother to stop sleeping with Claudius, Gertrude assures him “if words be made out of breath/ And breath out of life, I have no life to breathe/ What thou hast said to me” (III, iv). The second Hamlet leaves the room and Claudius enters, Gertrude divulges everything that Hamlet just told to her, claiming Hamlet is “mad as the sea and wind” (IV i). This is a blatant act of betrayal that is quite obvious to both the audience and the reader. Later on, Hamlet also comes to learn that he was yet again betrayed by his own mother. Through this specific act of betrayal, Shakespeare is implying that women are weak and can be easily swayed.
From Hamlet’s point of view, it becomes evident that genuine love for Gertrude was not the settling motive behind the marriage. Regarding his mother, such action only emphasizes her dependency on men. Such actions parallel with Ophelia’s as well, as she too, abandons her pursuit of love for Hamlet by obeying her father’s heartbreaking commands to stay away from Hamlet. Gertrude’s instantaneous marriage without motives alike of Claudius renders a strong dependency for men, representing female as a weak image. In Act 1, Hamlet speaks, “Frailty is thy name” (Act 1.
“Frailty, thy name is woman!” (1.2.145). Hamlet utters these words in soliloquy after his uncle, King Claudius, and his mother, Queen Gertrude, request that he does not return to school and instead, stay and take a place in Claudius’ court. This also comes after King Claudius and Queen Gertrude berate and fuss at Hamlet for mourning for his recently passed father. Hamlet is angry at his mother for marrying his uncle and her brother-in-law only a few mere months after King Hamlet’s death.
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet Gertrude marries her deceased Husband’s brother, whom she shows minimal affection and she rarely expresses any feelings or desires independent of those of him. Gertrude is a weak, submissive woman who is easily influenced by authoritative men, however her redeeming quality is she truly cares for her son and has just enough independence to at least think separately of Claudius. Her inability to express personal feelings leads to her unfortunate circumstances, which demonstrates the Firstly, in the early portion of the play we rarely hear Gertrude speak, or express unique feelings or opinions. We are unsure of her specific feelings about her marriage to Claudius, his assumption of the throne, or her
Hamlet’s terrible relationship with women is clearly seen all throughout the play. But the relationship between Hamlet and his mother Gertrude is one of mostly anger and resentment. Hamlet is angry at his mom for remarrying so quickly and not taking the proper time to heal over his father’s death which causes a huge amount of resentment. After his father’s death he stated, “Frailty, thy name is woman!” in regards to his mother’s emotional state. When Gertrude was married to King Hamlet, it seemed as though they really loved each other and Hamlet looked up to that but after the king's death and how quick she changed, Hamlet can’t help but feel that she betrayed not only him and his father but also their marriage and how sacred it was supposed to be. When she married Claudius, she ruined the relationship between her and her son and seems to continually choose Claudius over her own son. When Hamlet confronts his mother about the murder of his father, he scolds her for the marriage to his uncle saying she is only in it because of the sex.
At the beginning, both Hamlets are very angry about what has been happening and roughly handle their mothers, desperately clawing at them. This desperation symbolizing how he is also desperately trying to have her see the problem of marrying Claudius. At the end of the scene in Branagh there is also the same physical closeness as they bring their foreheads together and talk in hushed whispers-much like the actions of lovers. A differing point is when Branagh’s Hamlet is yelling at the beginning of the scene. Unlike Doran where Gertrude is always physically below Hamlet, in this version Gertrude stands tall and yells back with as much vigor and anger. She defends Claudius and doesn’t show any submissive actions, symbolizing how she perhaps doesn’t want to believe that marrying Claudius was a bad idea and also suggesting that there was nothing happening between her and Hamlet based on how she defends Claudius. With this differing behavior of Gertrude at the beginning of this scene it may be argued that there were no romantic feelings towards each other and Hamlet is simply a moral idealist and a good son, even amongst all other evidence stating
Despite the fact that Gertrude has very little role and few lines in the play still she is central to the action of the play. Prince Hamlet hatred and disgust for her mother as she marries Claudius, is one of the main important reflections of the play. This is because in times of Shakespeare, marrying husband's brother after husband's death was considered as a sin and act of being disloyal with the husband. Secondly, Prince Hamlet also considered Claudius inferior to his father, the late King Hamlet, in all aspects of life.
Respectfully the son replies, “I shall in all my best obey you, madam.” So at the outset the audience notes a decidedly good relationship between Gertrude and those about her in the drama, even though Hamlet’s “suit of mourning has been a visible and public protest against the royal marriage, a protest in which he is completely alone, and in which he has hurt his mother” (Burton “Hamlet”). Hamlet’s first soliloquy expresses his anger at the quickness of his mother’s marriage to Claudius, an “o’erhasty marriage” (Gordon 128), and its incestuousness since it is between family: “Frailty, thy name is woman! . . . .” Rebecca Smith interprets his anti-motherly feelings: “Hamlet’s violent emotions toward his mother are obvious from his first soliloquy, in which 23 of the 31 lines express his anger and disgust at what he perceives to be Gertrude’s weakness, insensitivity, and, most important, bestiality[. . . ]. (80)
Her son, Hamlet, speaks about his mother and says, “By what it fed on, and yet, within a month / Let me not think on ’t. Frailty, thy name is woman! / A little month, or ere those shoes were old / … Would have mourned longer!—married with my uncle…”(38). Hamlet is showing his mother denial of subjectivity within this quote because he doesn’t care about her feelings as he talks offensively about her and his uncle. Hamlet feels that he has a reason to be upset. He feels the marriage was disgusting because she only desired to jump into bed with this man, and so she is weak.
Most of the time we see Hamlet overwhelmed about his mother’s hasty marriage. In act III, scene four, out of jealousy he tells his mother directly “go not to my uncle’s bed”. And it becomes evident that Hamlet cannot tolerate his mother attention being captured by another
Queen Gertrude is the mother to Hamlet, widow to the late King, and new wife to King Claudius as shown within the first act of Hamlet. Following her marriage to King Claudius, her relationship with her son Hamlet becomes strained. Queen Gertrude symbolizes much of what is considered to be a negative aspect of womanhood. To Hamlet, Queen Gertrude is a failure of a woman. Through his dialogue, it is presented that Hamlet desires a woman and mother to be concerned for her family and place tradition above all else. When Hamlet’s mother makes a decision outside of that realm and marries King Claudius, Hamlet strives to berate her for her choices. Through
And yet within a month/Let me not think on’t Frailty, thy name is woman” (1.2.147-150)! To Hamlet, his mother’s actions are intolerable as she shows a swift and radical change from mourning for old Hamlet’s death to marrying his brother. Not only she shows a lack of grief, but also, she shows a physical attachment towards Claudius; this is apparent when Hamlet states, “‘She married. O, most wicked speed, to post/ With such dexterity to incestuous sheets’” (I.II.161-2)! Therefore, with repugnance, Hamlet criticizes not only Gertrude but also women in general for their weakness and their actions that are driven by emotions rather than reflection. Hamlet refers her actions as dependent and compliant, often showing fickleness. Gertrude’s frailty is depicted again during her interactions with Hamlet who exclaims “ ‘Proclaim no shame/ When the compulsive ardor gives the charge…’ ” (III.IV.95-6), showing that Gertrude is driven by emotion and seems