Hamlet and Gertrude’s Relationship in Hamlet
In many of William Shakespeare’s tragedies, Shakespeare writes about the relationships maintained between his characters. Of these relationships, Shakespeare examines the connection between family members, particularly the relationship between parents and child. In Shakespeare’s tragedy “Hamlet”, Shakespeare writes about the relationship between Hamlet and his mother, Queen Gertrude, to drive the plot forward.. Throughout much of the play, their relationship and interaction provides Hamlet with the core of his much anger and frustration. Consumed with the mistreatment of King Hamlet, Hamlet is enraged by the way Gertrude rejoices in her new marriage rather than mourning. Feeling as though Gertrude has forsaken his father by marrying Claudius merely two months after his death, Hamlet even speculates that his mother played a role in his father’s murder. Gertrude, a naturally innocent character oblivious to her own blunders, becomes desperate to discover the reason for Hamlet’s agitation. The combination of Hamlet’s resentment and vindictiveness along with Gertrude’s ceaseless espionage of Hamlet creates a strained relationship filled with distaste. However, during Hamlet’s confrontation of Gertrude in Act III Scene IV, Gertrude alters her views when she realizes the severity of her actions. This shift in perspective is evident in the final act of the play when Gertrude begins to openly ally herself with her son. Throughout “Hamlet”,
One of many tragedies written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet, takes place in the Kingdom of Denmark and is about the revenge of a grieving prince for the death of his father. Hamlet has a very low perspective of women, as past experiences have influenced him and make him think that they are subservient to him. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the two main woman are portrayed in contrast, as lustful and in search of one’s love, which deceives Hamlet of his opinion of them. At first, Hamlet believes that his mother and father, Hamlet Sr. and Gertrude, had infinite love for each other but after marrying the King’s brother only months after his death, Hamlet is given a bad impression of his mother and love itself. Month’s after the death of his father,
On William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, after the assassination of his father, Hamlet thinks he is living in a world full of corruption and deceit, where everything is falling apart and everyone is against him. An imminent, exaggerated, and passionate love for his mother is his main feature. Although others argue that Hamlet’s obsession to murder Claudius is strictly to claim revenge for his father’s death, it is Hamlet’s obsessive desire to possess his mother in an unhealthy and, perhaps incestuous, relationship. Hamlet also appears jealous of Claudius, his father-uncle, jealous of him for having Gertrude and for owning the crown. He lives a love-hate relationship with his mother. He is full of anger towards her, but at the same time he
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
Hamlet is seen as one of the most complex literary character of all time. The relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude can be interpreted in many ways. Hamlet’s motivation for killing Claudius is not to avenge his father’s death, but because of his love for his mother Gertrude. This is where the Oedipus complex comes into play in Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
Throughout William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays Hamlet with the same types of behaviors and frustrations in humans that Sigmund Freud saw at a much later date. When the relationship between Hamlet and his mother is analyzed Freud's oedipal complex theory comes to mind. The oedipal complex is a theory created by Freud that states that "The child takes both of its parents, and more particularly one of them, as the object of its erotic wishes."(51) Because of this desire to be with the parent of the opposite sex, a rivalry is formed with the parent of the same sex. In the play, Hamlet shows great hostility toward his uncle Claudius because his mother's remarriage to him. Hamlet sees his mother's remarriage as disgusting
Many morals are examined in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and perhaps the character with the most questionable morals is Queen Gertrude, specifically when it comes to loyalty. Her loyalty is brought into question through her almost immediate remarriage, her lack of mourning for her husband, and her swift, intense support for Claudius. Queen Gertrude was married to King Hamlet for a substantial amount of time, based on the fact that their son is old enough to be in university, and yet she remarried in less than two months. Hamlet even jokes that, “ The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables,” (I,ii: 179-180). Gertrude was able to come out of a lasting marriage and almost instantly start
Throughout the play, Hamlet’s disdain for his mother marriage to his uncle, Claudius, is made apparent. It is because of this union, Hamlet believes that it is his responsibility to separate Claudius from his mother for her own good. Because Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet, was killed his brother, Claudius, is now King and has married Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother. After a play which depicts the death of King
Gertrude was Hamlet’s mother. She was a selfish and evil woman. She cheated on Hamlet’s father with Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle. She married Claudius a month after her husband’s death.
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.
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
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Claudius murders his brother, the King of Denmark, and subsequently usurps the Danish throne. Shattering the purity of the royal family, he allures Queen Gertrude into an incestuous wedding so hastily that “The funeral baked meats / Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables” (I.ii.180-1). Lost in this sullied household is Prince Hamlet, shrouded in the black of mourning, who condemns his mother’s quick, lustful willingness to marry his uncle. Hamlet’s abject tears melt into vengeance, however, when the ghost of his father orders him to “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (I.v.25). He complicates his command to the Prince by admonishing him to
Shakespeare’s Hamlet shows a unique mother and son relationship between Gertrude and Hamlet. Stemming from the death of King Hamlet, Hamlet’s depiction of his mother signals a weird relationship amongst the two, but Gertrude still considers Hamlet as her son. After the marriage of Gertrude and Claudius,
Family dynamics in the 1600s often seem to have problems between parents and their children. Contrary to that, Hamlet and his mother Gertrude, the Queen, despite countless arguments, their relationship is positive. The relationship between a mother and son is the true definition of love, a bond that is often taken for granted and underappreciated. Throughout the book, The Tragedy of Hamlet, The Prince of Denmark written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet and his mother Gertrude show each other love, even through difficult times and even if it does not look like love to everyone else.
It is tempting to condemn Gertrude as evil, but it is probably more sensible to consider her as weak and inconstant. Hamlet's heartfelt line "Frailty, thy name is woman" sums up his view of her actions early in the play. Like many of Shakespeare's women characters, she is "sketched in" rather than drawn in detail. We know that she has a deep affection for her son, which is commented on by Claudius in Act 4 "The Queen, his mother, lives almost by his looks." and we may assume that she has not gone to Claudius's bed unwillingly, although there is a lack of evidence that she returns the King's obsession with her.