Carolyn Heilbrun Quotes

Prompt: Carolyn Heilbrun contends that, contrary to the predominant critical opinion, Gertrude is not a weak character who lacks “depth and vigorous intelligence.” Heilbrun argues that Gertrude’s actions, in fact, reveal her to be clear-headed and courageous, lustful but also “intelligent, penetrating, and gifted with a remarkable talent for concise and pithy speech.”

Hamlet Essay Carolyn Heilbrun’s view on the character of Gertrude in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet as an intelligent being is contradicted by Gertrude’s actions and words, indicating her loyalty and subsequent obedience to the king. Part of this relates to her weakness as she always has worshipful obedience of her husband, the king. She fails to have thoughts of her own, and whenever they are revealed they are immediately shot down. Through her tactless attitude and actions towards events and characters in the play, Gertrude herself proves that she is neither “clear-headed” nor “courageous.”
Gertrude’s actions at the scene of Ophelia’s death illustrate her inability to react to the situation properly, displaying her lack of tact and intelligence.
At Ophelia’s funeral, Gertrude, speaking to the departed Ophelia, tells her “I hoped thou shouldst have been my Hamlet’s wife” (Act V, Scene I) being completely dismissive of Ophelia’s suicide. Gertrude’s lack of tact is further illustrated in the way she is, instead of mourning Ophelia’s death, dreaming of what kind of bride she could have been for Hamlet. This also illustrates Gertrude’s selfish nature, for instead of mourning for Ophelia she is considering the “trophy wife” she would have made for Hamlet, therefore improving the royal
reputation. The ability to think for oneself escapes Gertrude in this play, showing her dependence on others and unwillingness to take matters into her own hands. Claudius commands her to secretly reveal Hamlet’s reasons for his madness, and she obeys without question though she should have a closer connection to him because she is his mother. Her unquestioning obedience to Claudius weakens Heilbrun’s argument that Gertrude is a character with a courageous manner about her. Courage takes many forms, but the Queen’s inability to stand up to either Hamlet during the confrontation scene or Claudius’s constant orders emphasize her lack of courage and indicate she is Queen in name only. In the confrontation scene between Gertrude and Hamlet, he overpowers her merely in the number of words and lines in Act III, Scene IV, further emphasizing her insignificance, bordering on weakness. Immediately after, in Act III, Scene I, Gertrude’s “report” to Claudius indicates her need to tell him everything, so instead of acting like a wife her place is more like one of the king’s subjects. Gertrude’s inability to think for herself and make her own decisions adds to the argument against Heilbrun’s view of Gertrude as a strong, courageous woman. Gertrude’s loyalty to Claudius may be commended, even “courageous”, but her lack of loyalty to Hamlet, and the old king, illustrate her indecisive and weak nature. She betrays both loyalties by marrying Claudius, the old king’s brother, just “within a month” (Act I, Scene II) of King Hamlet’s death. Her immediate dismissal of her love and loyalty to the old king reveals her indecisive and weak nature, in no way showing her to be a strong individual. Her sudden shift in marrying Claudius may have been caused by either shock or denial from the old king’s death, but that again indicates she is unable to handle the realities of King Hamlet’s death, again emphasizing her weakness. Through Gertrude’s attitudes towards events like Ophelia’s death, her loyalties, and her unquestioning obedience and dominance by stronger characters in the play, she is revealed not as an “intelligent” nor “courageous” character but rather weak and dependent. Heilbrun’s argument is, though true to little extent, unfounded for the most part, as indicated by the evidence above. In fact, Gertrude’s example would serve as a warning to all people, to not be constrained by blindly following what others tell them to do, but to blaze a path for themselves that others may choose to follow, or create paths of their own. Without original thoughts, science and modern technology would not have advanced to where it is today. In order to continue this pattern of developing and creating, humanity must learn that it is necessary to think for oneself, instead of following in the footsteps of others.