What is the role of Gertrude in Hamlet?
Gertrude is Hamlet’s mother and Queen of Denmark. She was married to the murdered King Hamlet (represented by the Ghost in the play) and has subsequently wed Claudius, his brother. Her close relationships to the central male characters mean that she is a key figure within the narrative.
What kind of character is Gertrude in Hamlet?
Gertrude: Woman, Queen, Enigma She can be seen as a foil to her son, since her character contrasts with his. Unlike Hamlet, Gertrude has no soliloquies reflecting on herself and her actions. She’s driven by emotions rather than reflection. She’s affectionate, impulsive, and strong-willed.
What was Gertrude’s involvement in the death of King Hamlet?
In Laurence Olivier’s film adaptation of Hamlet, Gertrude drinks knowingly, presumably to save her son from certain death. If she drinks on purpose, then she’s the self-sacrificing mother Hamlet has always wanted her to be.
Is Gertrude a complex character?
Gertrude, then, is one of the play’s most complex characters, and one whose motives and truest nature are often obscured. For instance, when Hamlet confronts Gertrude about her choices, she admits that looking inward at her own choices—and considering the idea that her new husband murdered her old one—is too painful.
How is Gertrude selfish?
Gertrude is continuously selfish throughout the play but, her selfishness began with her marriage to Claudius “but two months dead”(I,ii,138), of her former husband King Hamlet. Because of Hamlet’s reaction to his mother’s quick marriage, it is obvious that Gertrude had not thought of his feelings but only of her own.
What does Gertrude symbolize?
Gertrude is Hamlet’s shield. She protects him as a hawk would protect its babies. If Gertrude was not Hamlet’s mother or of royalty then Hamlet would be dead. Gertrude also symbolizes Hamlet’s shield and protection.
How does Gertrude feel about Hamlet?
Gertrude describes her love for Hamlet when she asks him not to return to Wittenberg. When she shares with Ophelia her hope that the young woman would have married her Hamlet, she divulges her wish for his happiness. However, she never declares any kind of emotion for Claudius, either positive or negative.