Introduction
Gertrude is the mother of the protagonist of the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. She is the widow of King Hamlet of Denmark, the protagonist’s father, and the new wife of Claudius, the new king, brother, and murderer of the protagonist’s father. Her role in the work is significant and has much to tell the reader. Despite her intelligence, at first glance, she is weak, willless, unable, and unwilling to go against the will of her new husband. In a modern interpretation, the shortcomings of negative attitudes toward women are even more evident.
Gertrude’s motives can be interpreted in two ways. The first and most apparent is fear for her position and a desire to remain in power. Gertrude demonstrated neither marital fidelity nor sufficient maternal love. It was only before her death that she realized or demonstrated the previously understood truth that her son was trying to convey. It was only then that her attitude toward Hamlet warmed, although it was too late.
Discussion
However, the second interpretation of Gertrude’s motives is less evident to the modern reader but more likely. Neighboring Norway, after the death of the Danish king, may have demanded revenge after a previous defeat. A country cannot exist without a ruler, and of Claudius’ role in her husband’s death, she did not know or guess and did not demonstrate. By marrying a month later to the new king, she correspondingly retained Hamlet’s hereditary role, for otherwise, Claudius might have had other heirs (Merrey 19). There are no lines in the work in which the queen voices her feelings for Claudius, which emphasizes the importance of this motif as the central motif.
Gertrude is majestic and attractive despite her age. Her mind is worthy of respect, and she is well-versed in the intricacies of running a kingdom. It is another reason to ponder her information and actions, which from this angle becomes more like a desire to save her family and country. Despite her political skills, she is far from the people and lacks respect for ordinary citizens. It can be seen due to her background and the peculiarities of the aristocratic mindset of the time.
She agrees with Polonius about the idea of Hamlet’s madness, by which she demonstrates the lack of whole motherly love. The protagonist’s rebukes of her mother are justified and fair enough. Only near the end does her attitude toward her son change, but ironically she becomes a victim of her new husband (Merrey 21). Despite the accidental poisoning of the drink intended for her son, the author emphasizes a kind of punishment to which Gertrude is subjected for some of her actions.
The significance of the character of Gertrude in the play is the unification of the various characters. Most of the characters are connected and interact in different ways. However, it is Gertrude, as one of the main characters, who is both a relatively negative character in some respects and a one-time savior of the main character. She is in the play to demonstrate to the reader how challenging a woman’s role in medieval society was. She is likewise a symbol of how contradictory qualities could be combined and evoke rejection and empathy simultaneously.
With her outward weakness, Gertrude can be understood as a symbol of inner firmness and making difficult decisions. Assuming that she guessed the reason for her husband’s death and sacrificed her reputation for other, higher goals, she is worthy of respect. People often wear masks, which is especially true of the aristocratic families and intrigues of the times. The lack of willfulness attributed by the author to Gertrude contrasts with some of her actions, which makes one wonder about the depth of the character (Shakespeare). Rue, given by Hamlet to her mother, symbolizes regret and forgiveness or apology, which emphasizes her ambiguous role.
In many of Shakespeare’s works, the author allows the reader or spectator of the play to form their own opinions about the characters. To do this, he provides various descriptions, reactions, and opinions of other characters. Gertrude, Queen of Denmark and the mother of the play’s main character would be a great example of this. She is shown, for the most part, on the negative side, but her actions and the evolution of her behavior allow the reader to develop a positive attitude toward the end of the piece. Because of this, it is difficult not to revisit her earlier actions from a new perspective and perhaps change one’s mind. Included in the ability to label the character in this way are the greatness of Shakespeare and the reason for his popularity to this day.
Conclusion
Like much in work, some life lessons can be drawn from Gertrude’s fate. Moreover, even though the terms are unlikely to be relevant today, it is easy to draw a parallel. A mother’s love, care, and understanding are what the work’s protagonist lacked and what Gertrude could not share sufficiently. Similarly, trust and empathy for relatives are one of the main conclusions that can be drawn. Furthermore, the most crucial point about the character is that one should not be hasty in one’s judgments about others without learning as much detail as possible.
Works Cited
Merrey, Jo. “‘All That Lives Must Die’: Gertrude, Ophelia, and the Idea of a Poisoned Royal Body Politic.” Shakespeare Bulletin, vol. 39, no. 1, 2021, pp. 19–38.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet: A Tragedy by William Shakespeare. Lulu Publishing, 2020.