Essay On The Evolving Face Of Gertrude In Shakespeare's Hamlet
The Evolving Face of Gertrude “Hamlet” is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. There are memorable characters, madness, revenge, and death all in one nice package. While there has been numerous discussions about Hamlet, Claudius, and Ophelia, many scholars and readers don’t pay attention to Gertrude. “Readings of Gertrude have tended--apparently--to accept the notion that "however important the part of the Queen in the story of Hamlet, her role in the play is definitely subordinate"(Montgomery). Some have called her and adulter. Others have called her a selfish cold mother only concerned about herself while her heroic son is left to suffer all on his own. "remarrying widows [who] consistently fare ill, [and so] genre as the determinant of their destinies seems less
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She is a woman that made a decision to survive based on self-preservation. She married Claudius because she felt that she didn’t have a choice. She is a queen with no skills but to look beautiful. “At times it seems that her grace and charm are her only characteristics, and her reliance on men appears to be her sole way of capitalizing on her abilities.”(Sparks Notes). She relies on her good looks to survive. Gertrude’s love for her son has been called into question. She wants him to get over the death of his father and support her in the marriage of Claudius. She feel it is best for the country. ‘Unable to explain her marriage to Claudius as the act of a weak-minded vacillating woman, they fail to see Gertrude for a strong minded, intelligent, succinct, and apart for the passion, sensible woman she is” (Heilbrun 202). She turns to Claudius for that support. The most important thing to remember about Gertrude is that she appears shallow on the surface but she is a woman focusing on self-preservation and the love of her son. That son is very disturbed and she doesn’t know how to help him. She is trying her
She is a woman that made a decision to survive based on self-preservation. She married Claudius because she felt that she didn’t have a choice. She is a queen with no skills but to look beautiful. “At times it seems that her grace and charm are her only characteristics, and her reliance on men appears to be her sole way of capitalizing on her abilities.”(Sparks Notes). She relies on her good looks to survive. Gertrude’s love for her son has been called into question. She wants him to get over the death of his father and support her in the marriage of Claudius. She feel it is best for the country. ‘Unable to explain her marriage to Claudius as the act of a weak-minded vacillating woman, they fail to see Gertrude for a strong minded, intelligent, succinct, and apart for the passion, sensible woman she is” (Heilbrun 202). She turns to Claudius for that support. The most important thing to remember about Gertrude is that she appears shallow on the surface but she is a woman focusing on self-preservation and the love of her son. That son is very disturbed and she doesn’t know how to help him. She is trying her