Throughout the play Hamlet, we raise our eyebrows to every character because each leaves us in such suspense before dying. Gertrude becomes a central figure right from the beginning as her son, Hamlet, tries to avenge his father’s death by killing Claudius without hurting her. Hamlet contemplates the wicked and vile marriage that truly resulted in the fall of Denmark numerous times. Though she might not have physically changed anything within the play, Gertrude affected all of her surroundings through her mysterious acts, her selfishness, and through the lack of properly mourning over her dead husband. All this shows that she was aware of Old Hamlet’s death and allowed it to happen.
William Shakespeare wrote many tragedies, including King
…show more content…
During that time, women were not socially prominent so it was odd for an author to give such an important role to a female, and make her such a key figure in the play without the readers knowing much about …show more content…
The character’s death which is never resolved is Gertrude’s. Before drinking out of the cup, did she have previous knowledge that it was poisoned? It seems as if she was taking her life away due to all the anxiety that she caused and the foul actions she committed with and without Claudius. It all unfolds when Hamlet tells her during their scene in her bedroom, “A bloody deed. Almost as bad, good mother/As kill a king and marry with his brother.” (Shakespeare, trans. 1986, 3.4.32-33). Thus Gertrude plays an important role in the provocation and development of the revenge action through her mysterious acts, her selfishness, and through the lack of properly mourning over her dead husband. In conclusion, though Gertrude remains silent for a surprising amount of the play, she certainly was a part of Claudius’s scheme to kill Old