Summary: How Gertrude Plays a Part In King Hamlet's Death

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William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a play filled with suspense. There are many important details that Shakespeare leaves to be analyzed and interpreted by the readers. He neglects to explain the degree of Gertrude’s involvement in King Hamlet's death, but provides evidence to show that she plays a part in the murder, no matter how big or small her role is in the crime.

Gertrude is a key character in the play and has a great impact on the characters around her but throughout the play she “remains obscure”.

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Due to how little Gertrude reveals about herself Harold Bloom compares her to Ophelia calling her a “shadow presence”. Although Gertrude keeps her thoughts to herself she is always present during important events where her input would be significant. Bloom believes “it is striking how little we know about Gertrude; even the extent of her involvement in the murder of her husband”. Gertrude reveals so little about herself and her thoughts that throughout the play she provides less commentary than the gravedigger, who is a minor character that has less of an impact on the characters around them.

Throughout the play Gertrude is very careful with what she says as though not to say anything that would reveal her guilt. She is completely aware of the opinions and the thoughts of those surrounding her, and the events that take place but is unwilling to provide her view on the matters at hand and share the information she possesses. Unlike her son and husband she does not have any soliloquies to share her thoughts denying the reader a chance to understand her character and emotions.

but the readers are able to understand her character by analyzing her actions, her interactions with others and the opinion of the people closest to her.

The relationship Gertrude has with Claudius helps people see through the false image she creates to deceive the people of Denmark. They begin to question her choice to marry the brother of her recently deceased husband with such haste. Her motives and loyalty to King Hamlet while he was alive start to be questioned by the people around her. Although she had a great marriage she remarried his brother, the man that killed her husband, only after two months of his death.The ghost of King Hamlet is able to present Hamlet with information that Gertrude is unwilling to share and tried to hide. While the ghost is telling Hamlet the truth about his death he calls Gertrude his “most seeming-virtuous queen” . Although the people of Denmark see Gertrude as their virtuous queen King Hamlet now knows the truth. With these words the Hamlet begins to understand his mother’s character even more. He reveals that people's perception of her is not correct. Gertrude appearance virtuous to those who do not know her but in reality she is not.

After Hamlet starts to understand what the ghost of his father tells him about his uncle and mother he says, “O most pernicious woman! O villain, villain, smiling, damnèd villain! My tables-meet it is I set down that one may smile and smile and be a villain” . Hamlet is finally able to see his mother for what she truly is and not the fake image that she puts on. He begins to see his mother in a different light and notices that although she seems good she is truly villainous for her actions against King Hamlet. Hamlet becomes sure that his mother had a part in the murder of his father and takes action against her despit being told not to by the ghost of King Hamlet. He starts to question his mother and makes it clear to her that he is aware of her terrible actions. He accuses her of having a role in the death of his father along with Claudius when he says, “A bloody deed-almost as bad, good mother as kill a king and marry with his brother. Gertrude is surprised that she has finally been caught, she has gone a long time without anyone suspecting her of any wrongdoing and now her son knows what she has done.

When describing his marriage with Gertrude to his son he says, “O Hamlet, what a falling off there was there! From me, whose love was of that dignity that it went hand in hand even with the vow I made her in marriage, and to decline upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor to those of mine” . Although King Hamlet was able to love Gertrude and keep the vows he made when he married she does not do the same and when he comes back as a ghost he implies that she is guilty of adultery. King Hamlet knows that Claudius killed him so he can take the throne and rule Denmark and he is subtly telling Hamlet that his uncle did not act alone but had the help of his mother. “Leave her to heaven and to those thorns that in her bosom lodge to prick and sting her” . The ghost of King Hamlet tells his son that although his mother seems as though she will be going to heaven because of how she presents herself to others she is guilty of a crime that will condemn her to hell.

Throughout the play the only person that was fully righteous and moral was Horatio and that is why when Shakespeare wrote the play Horatio was the only person close to Hamlet that survived. In the final scene Gertrude was the first to die when she drinks the poison that was meant for Hamlet. Although Claudius has committed the sin of all Gertrude has gone so long without having consequences for her actions. When Rebecca West writes about the finale scene of Hamlet she says, “There are crimes afoot in Elsinore, in the world, as well as murder Claudius is guilty, the Queen is guilty, and so as this scene makes quite plan, is Hamlet”. Although Gertrude is able to fool the people of Denmark and the people close to her she is unable to escape the punishment of death and what she will have to face in the after life. Claudius is not the only one who has to pay the price of committing a mortal sin but Gertrude does too. Lily B. Campbell says, “There is still to be reckoned the sin which is mortal, the sin which has come as the effect of passion which has perverted the will. Such is acknowledged sin both of the King and the Queen”. It is clear to the reader that Claudius is guilty for the murder of King Hamlet and he will be righfully punished but this quote shows that Claudius and Gertrude are guilty of the same crime and will face the same punishment after their death.

When writing Hamlet Shakespeare deliberately writes in a way that will make the reader have to question what they are reading and look deeper into what is being said. He writes each character with great detail but made a choice to have Gertrude share little to nothing about herself. Instead of learning about her character through her, readers are able to see who she really is through the words and actions of other characters. If the readers depend on Gertrude to learn more about her character she would be very deceiving like she was to the people of Denmark. She may seem innocent but the readers can come to the conclusion that she is not as virtuous as she seems. Her involvement with Claudius and and participation in the murder of her husband can be seen when looking deeper into the play.