(Disclaimer: I’m posting this at the last minute partially because I’m desperately hoping no one will read it, please don’t judge!)
Women are worthless...aren’t they? In Shakespeare’s Hamlet there are only two female characters: Queen Gertrude and Ophelia. The latter dies a tragic death before becoming mad, and it could be argued does that she does is not significant in the play. Gertrude, with her limited dialogue and constant “one-liners” is ostensibly in the same position. A limited reader might consider her to be the quintessential model of an insignificant female character. I, however, contend that she is one of the most important characters in the play. Furthermore, the only reason she appears insignificant is because of the domineering, cruel, and scheming male characters.
Although Gertrude has limited dialogue, the important thing to note about this is when she doesn’t speak, and why. Like Ophelia, Gertrude is often caught up into the schemes of the men around her, and when they are plotting around her is exactly when she does not speak. Her longer portions of dialogue are never deceitful, they only offer positive thoughts for the future of those she cares about deeply: in I.ii she attempts to comfort Hamlet, in III.i she expresses her hopes that Ophelia and Hamlet can love and mend one another, and in III.iiii when Hamlet sees the ghost in her chamber she thoughtfully approaches the issue.
Ultimately Gertrude’s seemingly passive nature is merely a diplomatic reaction the chaos around her. She is a kind and loving mother who sacrifices herself numerous times for Hamlet. The only times she takes action in the play are to help him. From bringing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to defending him from Claudius’ wrath. Surrounded by the malevolence of others, however, she falls victim to these negative influences, and that is why she is exclaims she is poisoned just before her death in the play, she has literally been poisoned by the cruel men around her.
Hi Kyron!(:
ReplyDeleteI agree that the chaos and immorality surrounding her causes her to be silent for most of the play, but at the same time I think there is something else keeping her silent. On the bottom of page 105 she expresses immense guilt at some sin she has committed, which could also be a reason for her silence. That takes away some of the blame from the men and places it on herself. ALso note that the scene we see her speaking the most is when her son is trying to have a moral, ethical conversation with her.
It is interesting that you say Gertrude acts "diplomatically." You can certainly justify this in that she gets over Hamlet Sr. so quickly and readily accepts the man who claims power. If you really dig deeply into this you could probably prove that Gertrude has having an affair with Claudius before he took the crown. There's definitely an adultery/fornication parellel between Claudius and Hamlet when looking at Orphelia's lines and how Hamlet talks to her. He commands her: "Get thee to a nunnery" assuming she will be unfaithful. Hamlet's generalizations about women--"frailty, thy name is woman" also play into this idea.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your point that we need to pay careful attention to the moments in which G decides NOT to speak. It's intentional (or at least I think so). Which of the silent scenes are you going to focus on in your essay? She is present on stage a lot. Why? What function does her (silent) presence serve? Also notice that in the closet scene Hamlet projects his own confession onto G. She never owns it. He speaks dagger in her ears (oh, and isn't it funny that her husband was murdered via poison in the ear). She is clever even when her son is berating and insulting her. AND she decides to keep his secret--she doesn't tell Claudius that Hamlet is feigning insanity.
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