Gertrude’s absurdity

Gertrude’s Absurdity             In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there are many problems with many characters. Gertrude, mother of the main character Hamlet, appears every so often and makes a certain decision that puts her to her death such as, being a good and bad mother, her sexuality going from one man to another, and being comparable to Ophelia of their affection towards Hamlet. Because Gertrude makes these failing decisions, she brings herself to her death. “… Together with remembrance of ourselves. Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, The imperial jointress to this warlike state, Have we (as ‘ twere with a defeated joy, with an auspicious and dropping eye, with mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, In equal scale weighing in delight and dole)… “(Shakespeare 11). Claudius announces to the townspeople of Denmark that his former sister-in-law is now their queen again and that they are married. Claudius goes on to say that they have a smile in one eye and the other is filled with tears because of their glee of marrying and being in the depressed state of grieving for their lost loved one. While Claudius says these things, Gertrude stands behind him. She shows no grief for her dead husband. With having the wedding no longer than two months after the death of her belated husband, Gertrude must have not loved King Hamlet. “ Ay, that incestuous that adulterate beast, With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts- O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power So to seduce!- won to his shameful lust the will of my most seeming-virtuous queen” (Shakespeare 32). The ghost is implying to Hamlet that his mother is very sexual. The ghost is saying that Claudius got to Gertrude but not before his own death. One can assume that Gertrude could have been an adulteress but Shakespeare writes no proof that Gertrude in fact did have an affair. If Gertrude did have the affair, she would have most certainly have known about Claudius’s plan of murdering her husband. “ Good Hamlet, cast thy knighted color off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not forever with thy vailed lids Seek for thy noble father in the dust. Thou know’st ‘ tis common; all that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity” (Shakespeare 13). At the beginning of the play, Gertrude starts out to readers as a bad mother because of her actions with going from husband to husband and asking why her son is in a depressed state; saying that all living things must die eventually and that they just pass through here to then go to eternity. Throughout the rest of the play, Gertrude begins to lie to protect the ones she loves. She even lies to herself about what all she is doing. She tells Claudius that Hamlet killed Polonius but she also says that he is weeping for what he has done when truly Hamlet is not weeping. Gertrude has good intentions making her become a good mother. Gertrude truly shows that she has no idea how she made Hamlet mad at her. When he does tell her, she then notices why her actions hurt Hamlet. Underneath her shallow exterior, Gertrude shows emotion when Hamlet lashes out at her. “ O Hamlet, speak no more! Thou turn’st my eyes into my very soul, And there I see such black and grained spots As will not leave their tinct… These words are like daggers enter in my ears. No more, sweet Hamlet! ” (Shakespeare 94). After being lashed with Hamlet’s words, Gertrude protects and follows Hamlet. She cares for Hamlet in the duel even though she does not know it is going to be the death of her and Hamlet. Gertrude shows her love for Hamlet, in the end, which leads to her death by drinking the poisoned cup. Gertrude and Ophelia are both powerful women. They are both sexual with Hamlet. In the bed scene, Hamlet has Gertrude pinned to the bed when ghost arrives. Ophelia is in a relationship with Hamlet and they both show their affection towards another. Both show no grief or respect for Gertrude’s belated husband. They both have a different love for Hamlet. Gertrude loves Hamlet with a motherly love. Ophelia loves him like a normal woman and man would. Every time she tries to show him her love, the farther he gets away from her. Gertrude and Ophelia are different by their sexualities. Gertrude is the perfect example of showing Hamlet that not all women are caring and loving like Ophelia was trying to do. Both women lie in order to protect themselves or someone they love. Gertrude lies to protect her loved ones. Ophelia lies to protect her father Polonius while he is behind the curtain. Ophelia’s love for Hamlet cost her everything even death. Gertrude does what she has to protect Hamlet, and in the end, it cost her life as well.