Queen Gertrude is generally the most overlooked of the major characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, particularly when one only reads the story and thus doesn’t have the constant visual reminder of a physical presence onstage. The under-recognized Queen of Denmark is in fact a stronger and more significant person than she’s generally given credit for.
Perhaps the source of most readers’ dismissal of Gertrude is that one’s view of her is strongly tainted by that of Hamlet. Hamlet, with few exceptions, is the only character into whose thought processes the audience has insight. His disgust for her and her “o’erhasty marriage (2.2.60)” to Claudius is no secret, and the criticism of her that sprouts forth from these deep roots of repulsion continuously …show more content…
She is not labeled as “Gertrude,”-- the name of Hamlet’s mother and the wife of Claudius-- but instead identified by her own position. There are numerous female characters in Shakespearean plays, not to mention plays in general, that serve little overall purpose beyond the fact that a major character is married, but Shakespeare defines Gertrude by the role that is uniquely her own that isn’t dependent on a relationship with another (living) character. This establishes Gertrude as independent from any dependency on a husband or son for her …show more content…
Queen Elizabeth I was one of Shakespeare's most notable patrons, and she ran an entire country without sharing the position with a king. Perhaps by allowing Gertrude to be her own person, he's supporting and affirming the real-life Queen's capability as an independent ruler that doesn’t need to share the throne, without seeming to progressive for his time. Queen Gertrude is much more complex than a dismissive first glance may suggest, but sometimes one must set aside one’s preconceived expectations to get the whole
Perhaps the source of most readers’ dismissal of Gertrude is that one’s view of her is strongly tainted by that of Hamlet. Hamlet, with few exceptions, is the only character into whose thought processes the audience has insight. His disgust for her and her “o’erhasty marriage (2.2.60)” to Claudius is no secret, and the criticism of her that sprouts forth from these deep roots of repulsion continuously …show more content…
She is not labeled as “Gertrude,”-- the name of Hamlet’s mother and the wife of Claudius-- but instead identified by her own position. There are numerous female characters in Shakespearean plays, not to mention plays in general, that serve little overall purpose beyond the fact that a major character is married, but Shakespeare defines Gertrude by the role that is uniquely her own that isn’t dependent on a relationship with another (living) character. This establishes Gertrude as independent from any dependency on a husband or son for her …show more content…
Queen Elizabeth I was one of Shakespeare's most notable patrons, and she ran an entire country without sharing the position with a king. Perhaps by allowing Gertrude to be her own person, he's supporting and affirming the real-life Queen's capability as an independent ruler that doesn’t need to share the throne, without seeming to progressive for his time. Queen Gertrude is much more complex than a dismissive first glance may suggest, but sometimes one must set aside one’s preconceived expectations to get the whole