Mystery & Hamlet's View of Gertrude
English Lit: OCR A Level - Hamlet, topic 3.3.1
Mysterious Character & Hamlet's View of Gertrude
For much of the play, Gertrude is a mysterious character . The audience is never entirely sure about her thoughts, feelings or motives. This is partly due to her comparative lack of spoken lines (only 4%).
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Mystery of Gertrude's relationships
- We are not sure about how much Gertrude knows about the untimely death of her first husband, although most critics see her shock at Hamlet’s mention of murder (“As kill a king!”) in A3S4 as adequate proof of her innocence.
- However, her relationship with Claudius largely remains a mystery. Did she remarry so quickly out of romantic love for Claudius (and if so, how long had this attraction been going on for?) or did she do so to help stabilise a state under threat from Fortinbras’ army?
Hamlet's response to Gertrude
- Hamlet seems to share many of these doubts. He cannot hide his disgust at Gertrude’s remarriage.
- The images of corruption and incest pollute Hamlet’s mind (“To post / with such dexterity to incestuous sheets”).
- Much of the language he directs at women is deeply misogynistic. Gertrude’s remarriage seems to ignite a disgust at women’s sexuality which also poisons his feelings towards Ophelia.
Gertrude's awareness about Hamlet
- Gertrude has some insight into the causes of Hamlet’s disturbed behaviour, telling Claudius and Polonius that his father’s death and “our hasty” remarriage lie at the root of his “distemper”.
Test yourself on Mystery & Hamlet's View of Gertrude
What quotation seems to show Gertude's innocence about old Hamlet's untimely death?
What are the possible reasons for Gertrude's hasty remarriage?