Gertrude's death was caused because of the toxic expectations put on her for being a wife. She could not, or maybe did not want to, see that Claudius was guilty of killing her husband until she begins to die from the poison in the cup. This is when she realizes her mistake. Her eyes are finally opened to the fact that Claudius was trying to cause her son harm. "Before she dies she does not waste time on vituperation; she warns Hamlet that the drink is poisoned to prevent his drinking it. They are her last words. Those critics who have thought her stupid admire her death; they call it uncharacteristic," (Heilburn, 204). As a wife you are supposed to believe the best of your husband, this was the reason why it took her so long to see the truth.
