In “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude is portrayed as a selfish woman. She does not understand the grief that Hamlet is going through out the whole play. I believe throughout the play Shakespeare gives out hint that Gertrude is involved in Claudius’s crime. I believe that Gertrude was aware of the murder of Hamlet’s father, because why else would she marry Claudius less than month after the King’s death. As wife and the mother of Hamlet she should have mourn the death of her husband longer and never married Claudius. The marriage between Claudius and Gertrude is an awful sin in the church eyes, but it does not seem to bother her. There had to be a connection between Claudius and Gertrude before the death of the king
Act 1 of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet reveals a plethora of flaws within each character, specifically Gertrude. Hamlet has no trouble in pointing out that after the death of Gertrude’s husband, King Hamlet, she wastes no time in remarrying. Hamlet also criticizes Gertrude because she doesn’t just remarry; she marries King Hamlet’s brother, Claudius. Furthermore, Claudius is accused of being an adulterer by the Ghost, “that incestuous, that adulterate beast” (1.5.42). The Ghost’s accusation can suggest that Claudius may have been with Gertrude while King Hamlet was still alive.
Claudius uses logic, flattery, and action in order to justify marrying the late king’s wife days after he died and becoming king himself. Claudius uses “practical” logic to justify his marriage to his former sister-in-law directly after his brother’s death. While Claudius does state that it is “befitted To bear our hearts in grief” (1.2.2-3), he logically goes through his thought process in marrying his brother’s wife days after his death. He says that in the kingdom’s time of grief it makes sense for the new king to take care of himself and his feelings along with the rest of the people. He believes marrying Gertrude is the only way to make the both of them feel better in their time of loss and he convinces the people of this.
The root of love between Claudius and Gertrude’s marriage lies in the hypocrisy and stability of it. Much like the economic needs of Corley, Gertrude relies on marriage to avoid monetary struggle and power loss. Gertrude’s character is egotistical, seeking only for the desire of station and affection as well as having a tendency to use men to consummate self-preservation. Proven through the lack of love in her relationship with Claudius. Claudius’s unlawful, murderous acts builds the foundation of their love on falseness and lies.
(33). Betrayal was shown when Gertrude lies to her husband about Hamlet not killing Polonius but killing an actual rat and this shows how Gertrude is willing to lie to the king about Polonius being murdered by Hamlet for her own
Hamlet eventually kills Claudius like his father told him to, but only did it after his mother, Gertrude, drank the poison that Claudius meant to give Hamlet. This is a result of external action from all the sorrows that was building up in Hamlet’s life. This brings us to our next character, Gertrude, Claudius’s wife and Hamlets
In order to survive, humans are each born with a certain characteristic: self-preservation. The best way to ensure one’s survival is to make themselves the top priority. This self-centeredness is still prevalent in current society and even more prevalent in literature. One of the best examples of selfish tendencies to protect oneself is in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Every character in the story of the prince of Denmark betrayed their friends and family to save themselves.
I will, mu lord; I pray you pardon me. [Aside] It is the poison’d cup: it is too late” (V.ii.282-284). Claudius does not want Gertrude to drink the poison but is too slow to stop her since she didn’t know from beforehand. Claudius’s biggest betrayal is how he became king. As he confesses while he prays, “A brother’s murder.
Her dilemma of having to choose one man over the other is driving her to insanity because she can’t pick just one of them. Certainly she loves both of them or at least that’s what she thought, but Hamlet’s father is her true love while Claudius is the brother of her husband that just so happened to become king after his brother died. In short, she doesn’t know her true feelings for either person. Gertrude feels confused and overwhelmed by everything that just unfolded in front of her. It causes her an undesirable grief that she shouldn’t have had to deal
Hamlet’s views on women is adulterous which pertains to the misogynistic tendencies in the play; thus, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, sparks up his misogynistic approaches. Hamlet is repulsed with Gertrude since she was quick to re-wed immediately following Old Hamlet’s death and cries: “She married. O, most wicked speed, to post / With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!” (1.2.156-157). Hamlet is shocked that his mother remarries to Claudius, Old Hamlet’s brother, before letting the tears on her cheek to dry.
Throughout the conversation and various parts of the play, Hamlet expresses his disgust for his mother 's actions. He insults her by comparing his father to Hyperion and Claudius to a satyr. He tells Gertrude not to sin by sleeping with him and tells her she is nothing but lustful for marrying a man like Claudius when he says, “That blurs the grace and blush of modesty,/ Calls virtue hypocrite, takes off the rose/ From the fair forehead of an innocent love/ And sets a blister there, makes marriage vows/
In act one Gertrude marries her dead husband 's brother Claudius, Hamlet is not very happy that his mother did this. Hamlet feels very betrayed by his own mother because she remarried so quickly. He feels as if this is an unforgivable
Hamlet couldn’t understand why his mother would remarry so hurry after her husband’s death, and especially the fact that it’s to his uncle, his father’s brother, Claudius. He is disgusted by the fact that Gertrude is guilty of incest. He says “A little month, or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my poor father's body, Like Niobe, all tears—why she, even she (O, God, a beast, that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned longer!), married with my uncle, My father's brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules. ”(I. ii. 28)
Meanwhile, Hamlet is preparing for Claudius’s murder. Claudius becomes suspicious of Hamlet’s odd behaviour and complains to Gertrude. She goes to question Hamlet, but he is planning Claudius 's death. Gertrude overhears what Hamlet is planning and tries to leave the room to go warn Claudius, but is seen by him. He approaches her and tries to make her swear to never tell anyone what she had heard.
In this instance and elsewhere throughout the play, Hamlet attacks Gertrude’s lifestyle, in regards to her actions behind closed doors. He ruthlessly condemns her decision to marry Claudius and constantly questions her lifestyle. With a reference to daggers, Gertrude begs Hamlet to stop, saying “O speak to me no more! / These words like daggers enter in my ears” (3.4.96-97). Hamlet, however, chooses to go on, getting so worked up he finally acts upon his words, killing (with a sword, ironically) who he thinks to be Claudius hiding behind the tapestry.
He marries Gertrude, so he could take away the crown from Hamlet and call himself King of Denmark. Claudius gains Gertrude 's trust by showing a concern for Hamlet craziness and tries his best to be caring to the queen. This shows this mock side to the queen so it would be easy for him to become king, and that he has control over how he uses the women