Gertrude's Relationship with Hamlet
English Lit: OCR A Level - Hamlet, topic 3.3.3
Gertrude's Changing Relationship with Hamlet
Gertrude and her son become closer as the play moves into its final two Acts.
Gertrude's love for Hamlet
- Claudius is well aware of Gertrude’s love for Hamlet. He tells Laertes of how Gertrude “lives almost by his looks”.
- As a result, Claudius must plan his action against Hamlet very carefully – just like Hamlet, he must not harm Gertrude.
Gertrude's view of Hamlet's madness
- After Gertrude's visit to her chamber and Hamlet’s murder of Polonius, Gertrude tells Claudius that her son is “mad as the sea and wind when both contend”.
- Some critics interpret this as Gertrude providing a cover story for Hamlet’s true motives.
Gertrude in the final scene
- The final scene shows Gertrude taking great pride in her son’s performance during the fencing match with Laertes.
- It is her insistence on drinking a toast to her son’s success which ultimately proves fatal. Perhaps in doing so, she defies her husband’s instruction not to drink from the poisoned cup.
Does Gertrude know the plan?
- In some productions of the play, it is even suggested that Gertrude drinks from the poisoned cup in full knowledge of what she is doing (as in the 1963 Olivier production at London’s Old Vic).
- In interpretations such as these, it is suggested that Gertrude knows or suspects of Claudius’ plan to kill Hamlet and willingly sacrifices her own life to protect her son.
Test yourself on Gertrude's Relationship with Hamlet
Which of these does NOT happen in the final scene of Hamlet?
In which production of Hamlet is it suggested that Gertrude knowingly drinks from the poisoned cup?