Gertrude Weak In Hamlet

In William Shakespeare's, “Hamlet” The protagonist, Hamlet faces challenges trying to murder King Claudius, who is his uncle and the murderer of his Father, King Hamlet. After King Hamlet's death, his wife Gertrude marries King Claudius the murderer. Later in the play, Gertrude suffers a terrible death by drinking poison that was not intended for her. This fatal action is caused by Gertrude marrying Claudius, watching a play that offends her, instead of speaking out, she tries to get Polonius to overhear her getting on to Hamlet. After this, she does not listen to the advice of Hamlet to stay away from Claudius. These actions Gertrude chose proves how weak she is. The reader can learn to be more bold by reading the actions Gertrude took. In
Instead of speaking to her son of her feelings, she decides to set up an intervention with Polonius for Hamlet. “Much heart and him. I’ll silence me even here. Pray you, be round with him” (Shakespeare 161). Although Gertrude has good intentions of Polonius speaking to Hamlet, if she was strong enough to speak to Hamlet herself, Polonius would not have died. Hamlet enters in Gertrude's room, seeing Polonius hiding. However, he believes this is the body of Claudius and wrongfully kills Polonius. Polonius states, “Oh, I am slain! [He falls and dies]” (Shakespeare 171). Gertrude having Polonius speak to Hamlet is a large aspect of Gertrude's fate because this death caused Polonius’s son, Laertes to be angry with Hamlet for murdering his father. “Claudius- Hamlet comes back; what would you undertake To show yourself indeed your father's son More than in words? Laertes- To cut his throat i' th' church” (Shakespeare 221). This anger is a leading factor to the fencing dual to where the poison Gertrude drank was. Therefore, if Gertrude had not been weak to need assistance confronting Hamlet, Polonius would have been killed in that moment. Evidently, there would not be a fencing match for poison to be consumed at. The reader may learn from this to have their own conversations although there may be
“No, no, the drink, the drink—O my dear Hamlet— The drink, the drink! I am poison'd” (Shakespeare 267). Gertrude depicts this death by making frail choices that would only benefit her throughout the play. By being more brave through not marrying Claudius to remain queen, confronting Hamlet herself, and listening to Hamlet's warning of Claudius, Gertrude could prevent her death. Instead, Gertrude makes frail choices that only help her remain in trouble with her life in the moment. However, these weak choices create more problematic conflicts. The reader can learn from Gertrude that being audacious may create a better future than being