William Shakespeare's Hamlet features one of the most complex, interesting and tragic cast of characters ever depicted on the stage and in Western literature. However, of particular interest is Hamlet's mother Gertrude; far from the stereotypical damsel in distress, this character is strong, complex and multifaceted. Gertrude’s guilt in the murder of her husband by Claudius is mild but present – she is complicit in the act, but ignorant of its consequences. Gertrude’s internal conflicts, and the way in which she wrestles with her own responsibility for the actions of the play, make her one of the most interesting characters in Shakespeare’s seminal tragedy. Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, is a model of repressed guilt and shallow ignorance. As opposed to the main character, Hamlet, who is very thoughtful and very concerned about the nature of "this mortal coil," Gertrude's shallow desire for her own vices is what drives her. Even after her husband's death, she marries his brother Claudius "within a month." Gertrude, as a character, is somewhat concerned primarily with the flesh and hedonism – she merely wants to be comfortable and taken care of. Despite not seeing a great deal of her interior life, and/or what she does outside of the direct events of the play, Gertrude easily fits into that archetype of the kept woman who wants to continue her lifestyle.
Gertrude's sexuality is a large part of what defines her; it is implied that Gertrude simply needed her sexual needs satisfied quickly, and this is what motivated her to marry Claudius. As the Ghost tells 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" (I.V 42-5). By 'adulterate beast,' he does not mean unfaithful necessarily, but merely contaminated or changed irrevocably. The fact that her marriage to Claudius comes in the wake of the King’s murder, almost certainly performed by her erstwhile beau, sullies her as a person considerably (without her even really knowing it). By adulterating herself as she does, Gertrude merely corrupts herself and resigns her identity to one obsessed by the lifestyle that comes with being queen. There is no real evidence to suggest that Gertrude and Claudius were having an affair before the King’s murder, and so Gertrude in this respect is innocent. This makes her role much more interesting, as she is not a willing participant in the murder plot but instead an ignorant pawn. Gertrude is not a willing accomplice in the conspiracy to kill Hamlet's father; instead, she is a childish and ignorant pawn in Claudius' overall plan to rule over Denmark. All Gertrude really cares about is continuing her lavish lifestyle and being sexually satisfied. Often, she manages to lie to herself about the truth of her circumstances, and forces her head in the sand when Hamlet confronts her about Claudius' possible involvement in his father's murder. Gertrude does not just lie to herself; she lies to others as well. The difference between her and characters like Claudius is that she lies to protect others, as well as herself. She does not falsify things to be wicked, she just tells little white lies to smooth over uncomfortable situations. When she has to tell Claudius that Polonius died by Hamlet, Gertrude says that he "weeps for what is done," despite the fact he is unremorseful. Gertrude, in this respect, seems to be naïve and innocent, at least with regards to how she wants to present the truth. To her, everything needs to be sugarcoated and made to be nicer than it is. Gertrude lies in order to make everything better, regardless of the actual consequences of this. Despite her shallowness and her deceit, many characters in the play adore her. She loves Hamlet dearly, and she is very hurt when he confronts her about the truth of her husband's death. She cannot comprehend what is upsetting Hamlet so much when he goes to her, and she understands the wrongness of her actions when he informs her of the truth. "O Hamlet, speak no more: Thou turn'st my very eyes into my soul, And there I see such black and grained spotsAs will not leave their tinctO speak to me no more; these words like daggars enter my ears;No more, sweet Hamlet!" (III.iv.88-6). This is an honest depiction of a mournful woman - she is in no way deceiving or duplicitous, nor is she complicit in the plan to kill the King. She is also forgiving, protecting Hamlet even after he lashes out at her in anger. At the same time, she maintains her love for Claudius, because of the bond of marriage that demands her loyalty.
Gertrude’s trusting nature plays into the themes of the play: she represents the innocence that is lost based on earthly jealousy and the need for revenge. Like Ophelia, Gertrude is a hapless victim who nonetheless suffers from Hamlet’s desire to take his vengeance upon Claudius. Gertrude is incapable of true cunning or deceit, as she truly believes what she is saying; she just manages to lie to herself enough to get these false truths to stick. To that end, she becomes a casualty in a senseless search for justice that Hamlet embarks upon, her death serving as evidence of the collateral damage that occurs when someone seeks to take revenge on someone else. In conclusion, Gertrude, as a character, is far from being Lady Macbeth; while she is guilty of possibly understanding what is going on around her, she lies to herself – she is not part of Claudius’ plot, but merely a recipient of its benefits. While at the center of the dark conspiracy, she is ignorant of it, and is only interested in maintaining her love for the people around her and her own shallow needs. She is an implicitly and explicitly trusting figure, and also values beauty, which is what leads her to drink from the poisoned goblet, dying as a result. These qualities make her a bit of an enigma, and not a character that can be accused of disloyalty or hated for her complicity. Gertrude has a subtle tendency towards goodness; she cares for everyone involved, and wishes to take care of them, including both Claudius and Hamlet. She is not premeditative, but instead reactionary to the situations she is presented with – her primary tragedy comes from her innocent trust in the people around her, leading her to drink from a cup she does not presume to be poisoned.
Works Cited
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Leverenz, David. "The Woman in Hamlet: An Interpersonal View." Signs vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 291-
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Tkacz, Catherine B. "The Wheel of Fortune, the Wheel of State, and Moral Choice in 'Hamlet'".
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