The Character of Gertrude in Shakespeare's Hamlet Essay

Gertrude never seems to get in the middle of Hamlet and Claudius' disputes, so many tend to assume that she is involved in King Hamlet's murder. However, there is an abundance of in-text evidence that suggests she is very innocent and oblivious to Claudius' plots throughout the play. Most of this evidence supporting that Gertrude has nothing to do with King Hamlet's sudden death. From the start, Gertrude comes off as a very clueless and almost blind character to the things happening around her. She mourns for the death of the man she loved, but with her country in mind does what she thinks is best. Sadly, while doing so, she involves herself in a dispute that turns deadly.

In fact, by looking at her response, it is possible that she is faithful to Claudius, the man she married quickly after her husband died. This suggests Gertrude’s timid and weak vulnerability on the presence of Claudius’ character in the play. If Gertrude was more skeptical and active about Claudius’ succession as King, she could have prevented a man, who is in fact a murderer, to have control over many social aspects in the kingdom such as nobles and courtiers. It is clear that Hamlet’s knowledge of the truth regarding the death of his father is what drives him to behave insanely. As a result of Gertrude’s reluctant effort to speculate Claudius’ rise to the throne, the death of her husband resulted to her son’s insanity. If Gertrude was more pessimistic on Claudius, suspecting his motives to take the throne, then Hamlet could have avoided the irrational behavior that caused Polonius’ death and his departure to England. In turn, Ophelia could have avoided being depressed and suicidal. Since the scheme commenced without Gertrude’s interference, Ophelia became heart broken due to her conversation with Hamlet, where he insulted her. Heart break often leads to depression which eventually sums up to suicide. Gertrude is clearly responsible for Ophelia committing suicide because she could have prevented Polonius and Claudius’ scheme,

As Hamlet says, ?Frailty thy name is woman?, her actions cause Hamlet to curse women all together. In the first Act, Claudius and Gertrude question Hamlet?s depression. They push Hamlet to accept his father?s death and move on with his life. Hamlet hides his feelings about his mother and the king. He should have admitted his hatred for their marriage. While Hamlet is holding back his feelings, he becomes more angered at their attempts to calm him. Gertrude is also aware of Hamlet?s feelings for Ophelia and uses this as an excuse for Hamlet?s madness. Hamlet has plenty of time to confess the cause of his madness and that?s what he should have done. Instead, Hamlet allows his mother to think he is madly in love rather than tell the truth. After Hamlet delivers his play and sees guilt in his uncle, Gertrude sends for Hamlet. Instead of hurting his mother, he insists on her to tell him the truth. It would have been easier to just go ahead and hurt Gertrude. Also, Hamlet should have acted more swiftly on this, then her confession could have taken place earlier in the play. This could save him from a great deal of pain and leave his thoughts for other problems.

     Gertrude as well is exploited by men throughout the play. Gertrude is seen as a prize to Claudius, a way for him to succeed to the thrown without having Hamlet take over. Although it is not doubted that he loves her, but he first uses her to get the kingship without question. Claudius has been wooing Gertrude even before the death of the king, which a reason for the “most wicked speed” in which they were married. (Act 1, scene 2. line 156) Gertrude is also used by Polonius, but more so she allows him to spy on her having a discussion with Hamlet. Polonius tells the Queen that Hamlet is coming to her private chambers and that she should have a discussion with him on his lately “unrestrained” acts. She replies to Polonius that she will “warrant” him, and “fear [her] not” for she is on his side. (Act 3 Scene 4 Lines 1-7) Gertrude however is not an unintelligent woman, so a reader would wonder why she would allow herself to be exploited by Claudius. Carolyn G. Heliburn agrees with Gertrude’s intelligence saying that her speeches are “not the mark of a dull and shallow woman.”

Hamlet's rant to persuade her that Claudius is a bad man and the murderer of his father depicts his disrespect to his mother. For instance, he tells her, "You go not till I set you up a glass / Where you may see the inmost part of you." (III.iv.20-21) He is threatening his own mother! Later, he addresses her as "thou wretched, rash, intruding fool" (III.iv.32) Even though Gertrude's lust for Claudius aggravates him, Hamlet fails to show even the most fundamental respect to his superior. The relationship is full of disloyalty and distrust from Gertrude's part. First, she appeases, "Be thou assured... I have no life to breathe what thou hast said to me." (III.iv.201-203) It is assumed that she will listen to Hamlet and stay away from Claudius. However, in the next act, she displays her true loyalty to her husband, telling him that Hamlet is "in this brainish apprehension kills / The unseen good old man." (IV.I.12-13) This is partially contributed by her observations of her son talking to a ghost that she doesn't see. Polonius' death causes her to think Hamlet is dangerous, further driving the two apart. Her distrust to her son harms him by further solidifying Claudius' plan to execute him in England because the king sees him as a threat to the throne who is capable of killing. In the end, Hamlet and Gertrude's relationship take a bittersweet ending.

By the end of this scene, however, we see that she is penitent and appears willing to help her son. This exhibits how easily Gertrude is persuaded by Hamlet's incessant persistence, and emphasises her tendency to be dominated by, and mistreated by men, even to the extent of her own son. Gertrude's mistreatment is also obvious within her relationship to Claudius. For example, When Gertrude tells Claudius of Polonius' slaughter by Hamlet, rather than fret about the danger posed to his wife; he remarks that has he "been there," it would have been dangerous to him.

Gertrude appears oblivious to the fact that Claudius killed King Hamlet to take over the crown and to have her. Her decision to marry her deceased husband’s brother had a lot of people questioning her sanity also. “The funeral baked meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables” (Shakespeare 17). Gertrude had gotten married so quick after the funeral of King Hamlet that the food from the funeral catered for the wedding. During the play that Hamlet produced to show people what Claudius had done, she was blind to the fact that it was actually Claudius that he was talking about. Due to Hamlet knowing the truth, Claudius has been trying to kill him.

A few characters in this play give insight on Gertrude that point in the direction of her being shallow and evil. One example is late in the first act when Hamlet cries “O most pernicious woman! O villain, villain, smiling, dammed villain!” This is when, deep in thought, Hamlet realizes that his mother could have possibly taken part in his father’s death and he thinks she’s evil. In Hamlet’s head, everything makes sense now because it is now understandable how she got over the death so quickly. This is the first time that Hamlet realizes his mother’s true character. This is a very imperative notion about Gertrude’s personality because for her very own son to think a validation like this is extreme. Often times a man will love and defend his mother until the day he dies, while Hamlet, on the other hand, is thinking of her playing a role in his father’s death. When the ghost speaks of Gertrude’s speedy marriage, it provides more evidence of her shallowness. The King’s ghost says that she is “seeming virtuous”. He is basically saying that while she looks holy and righteous, she isn’t. The new King offered her something (or many things) that she wanted, and she took the bait and married him. She didn’t care that her husband had just died, or how her son would react to this

Regarding Gertrude, she is a woman that enjoys the power of the men she is with. She is used to fine things such as furs and jewels. While she was devoted to Hamlet’s father, she is also a survivor and found it very easy to allies herself in love and politics with Claudius. There is never any evidence that Gertrude knew of the murder of Hamlet’s father before the fact. Although, I would have to assume that she must have picked up some clues along the way. Her marrying Claudius seems to be for her own protection and status. After all, it is better to be Queen than to be exiled to some wretched room in the dungeon.

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.

None wed the second but who kill’d the first.” (3.2.179-80) Another prime example would be when she stated; “A second time I kill my husband dead, when second husband kisses me in bed.” (3.2.184-5) Hamlet soon after turned to his mother and asked “Madam, how like you this play?” (3.2.229) “The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” (3.2.230) the queen replied implying that she thought the player queen made empty promises. Had the Gertrude known about Claudius’ plans to murder old Hamlet, surely she would have acknowledged what the play was about and she would have acted out the way Claudius did when he called for the lights after he finally realized what was going on. Also, after the play, Hamlet had a conference with his mother, during their talk, Hamlet learned that someone was hiding behind the arras, he killed this person and moments later discovered it was Polonius. In an exchange of words between Hamlet and Gertrude, we see that Gertrude is shocked at the mention of old Hamlet’s murder:

      We first realize in Act I, Scene 2 that poor judgment is her major character flaw. As the mother of a grieving son, Gertrude should have been more sensitive to Hamlet's feelings. Instead, less than two months after King Hamlet's death, Gertrude remarries Claudius, her dead husband's own brother. Gertrude should have realized how humiliated Hamlet would feel as a

as he was always off at war…who else to warm the royal bed than the

While Ophelia represents weakness and obedience, Gertrude, the only other female character in the play, embodies the exact opposite: power and independence. Gertrude wields much power as the queen and acts to keep it by marrying her brother-in-law after her first husband’s death. She makes decisions on her own. Far from innocent, she even admits she can see “such black and grained spots” (Ham. 3.4.100-101) in her soul. Her admission of guilt that “spills itself in fearing to be spilt” (Ham. 4.5.24-25) suggests that she may hold a lot more power than she appears to externally. Perhaps she has her own agenda entirely, which included the murder of her first husband, pursuant to Hamlet’s accusations (Ham. 3.4.35). While some may argue that Gertrude, like Ophelia, is a powerless, obedient character (“Sample”), the fact that she admits to feeling guilty