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Does Gertrude Love Hamlet Essay

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Does Gertrude love Hamlet, or is she just a co-conspirator for Claudius? This is a question that readers attempt to answer while reading through the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Throughout the play, Gertrude displays actions that can lead readers to believe either side of the question. Overall, Gertrude is a character with little substance which allows readers to interpret her character in many different ways. To start with, Gertrude, Queen of Denmark, is the wife of King Claudius, and the mother of Prince Hamlet. Previously, she was married to King Hamlet, and married Claudius just months after the death of King Hamlet. Hamlet and his mother do not have a strong relationship, partly because he does not believe she mourned the death …show more content…

One piece of evidence supporting the argument that she does love Hamlet is that she has him stay home instead of going back to Wittenberg (“Queen Gertrude”). In the play Gertrude says, “Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet. I pray thee, stay with us. Go not to Wittenberg” (1. 2. 122-123). Another possible way she shows love to Hamlet is by drinking the poisoned wine. It is unknown whether or not Gertrude knew the wine was poisoned, but if she did drink it intentionally it shows love by attempting to save Hamlet’s life. On the other hand, there are several places in the play that lead the reader to believe that Gertrude did not love Hamlet. One example would be that Hamlet informed his mother about Claudius’s behavior, and he proved that there was a problem with the state of Denmark yet Gertrude remains of Claudius’s side rather than her son’s (“Shakespeare’s Gertrude”). This example also adds to the argument that Gertrude was a co-conspirator with Claudius. In conclusion, the character of Gertrude in the play Hamlet is complicated and can be viewed in several different ways. Throughout the play, readers attempt to interpret her motives and the actions that she takes. Whether or not she knows Claudius is a criminal and whether or not she loves Hamlet are two questions that are asked about Gertrude’s character. Shakespeare leaves room for the reader

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Queen Gertrude is the Queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother, the widow of Old Hamlet and the wife of Claudius, brother of her dead husband. Gertrude is ignorant and a woman who means no harm but because of her actions it contributes greatly to the terrible events that occur throughout the play. In this play there’s many conflicts, one of the first conflicts was when Gertrude married King Claudius two months after Old Hamlet’s death. Gertrude is ignorant because she’s not aware of anything happening. For example she’s not aware that King Hamlet’s murder was by his own brother Claudius, even though they were some hints out there to show that it was King Claudius who killed Old Hamlet.

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Even though Hamlet is passionate about his mother, there is never a direct act from the prince that shows his sudden love and protection for her. Gertrude shows him an act of love by rising for his accomplishments during the fencing match and toasting a drink of wine to him. Unfortunately, that wine is intended for Hamlet’s consumption, and is filled with poison. Gertrude then shows an act of protection when she screams out to warn Prince Hamlet that the wine is indeed poisoned, saying “No, no, the drink, the drink!—O my dear Hamlet! The drink, the drink!

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Also, Hamlet displays his anguish at the Queen for dishonouring his dead father since “Almost as bad, good mother, as killing a king and marrying his brother” (Shakespeare, pg. 121). In this statement, Hamlet expresses how, through the marriage to her husband’s murderer, Gertrude is a symbol of dishonor and damaging her relationship with the prince. Hamlet is disgusted by Gertrude’s actions and recognizes her not as his mother but the queen and wife of Claudius, the murderer. The respect revered by children to their mother is not evident between Hamlet and Gertrude. In Gertrude’s death scene, Hamlet screams to his mother “Wretched Queen, adieu!”

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King Hamlet loved Gertrude with all his heart that he “might not beteem the winds of heaven visit her face too roughly” this represents true unforgettable love. Hamlet is exasperated about his mother’s hasty marriage that he claims a “beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer”. Gertrude’s hasty marriage with Claudius seems to Hamlet as done with “wicked speed to post with such dexterity to incestous sheets” showing Hamlet is disgusted with this relationship and aggressively disapproves to this action. Further into the play Act 3 Scene 2, Hamlet is having a conservation with Ophelia when he mentions “look you how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died within two hours” showing anger towards the happiness of his mother. Throughout the play Hamlet uncovers horrible deeds his uncle has committed, which were “Remorseless, Treacherous, lecherous”.

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Hamlet is not justified by treating Gertrude the way he did. Gertrude said that Hamlet has offended his new stepfather by the play that he put on (to find out if Claudius actually did kill the king). After Hamlet hears that his mother is not proud by the way he has been acting Hamlet just goes off on her. Hamlet then says that his mother has offended his real father (King Hamlet) and completely intimidates her. Then Hamlet accuses Gertrude of lustfulness and his mother starts crying and begs him to go.

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Gertrude is Hamlet’s mother and the Queen of Denmark. When King Hamlet is murdered by Claudius, she didn 't seem to daunt her and shortly thereafter got married to Hamlet 's Uncle Claudius. This gives a suspense in this point of the play because it makes the audience think about if Gertrude had anything to do with the murder of her husband or if she helped plan the murder with Claudius. When Gertrude married the person that killed her husband, Hamlet takes it personal and she basically loses her son because he 's so upset with her.

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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.

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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

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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

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His suicidal thought and his erratic behavior cause for the king, queen, Ophelia and his friends to begin to spy on him just pushes him over the edge. His action cause concern for King Claudius who shows in ways that he is not trusting of Hamlet because of this the King begins to plot with Laertes to kill hamlet in fencing dual. During this dual Hamlet is stabbed and dies from the poison that was on the blade. Gertrude is seems to be a shallow woman in some ways yet King Hamlet, Hamlet and King Claudius are all devoted to her.

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Within a month, ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears had left the flushing in her galled eyes, she married” (1.2.145-156). Gertrude only cares about her own desires, not her son’s. Therefore, Hamlet’s anger over his mother’s betrayal makes him not trust women. Hamlet loses

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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/

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Contextually, Gertrude is Hamlet's mother and the wife of Claudius, brother of her late husband. His stage presence is reduced because it appears that in nine out of twenty scenes and its appearance is often had to his royal status. In addition, Gertrude is a woman represented as being inert, does undertaking any real action during the play. Indeed, it does not come to the aid of his son Hamlet all throughout history and finds deleted before men dominate the work. Gertrude is a dependent character of men, especially Claudius.

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However, Hamlet soon discovers that Claudius has been lying to him, and Claudius’ real motive is to kill Hamlet in order to exterminate all possible threats to his reign. Claudius’ role play affects the entire country of Denmark, and he convinces the people that he is the rightful king, when he is not, and has murdered his brother for the throne. Gertrude, too, takes on a role; throughout the play, she seems oblivious to her wrongdoings. She claims that she loves Claudius, and did not just marry him for political reasons.

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Hamlet surely thought that his mother Gertrude dearly loved his father Old King Hamlet, now he may feel like his mother never loved his father. This may result in why he feels like he may not love Ophelia. We are also aware that Hamlet has trouble with his own happiness and this probably reflects on the way we feels towards people mostly women. Hamlet thinks that the reason real love does not exist is because of the female gender. Hamlet blames both his mother Gertrude and Ophelia for portraying men as monsters.

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