Shakespeares Hamlet - The Character of Gertrude Essay examples -- GCS

Hamlet the Character of Gertrude Shakespeares tragedy, Hamlet, presents hug drug male characters for perpetuallyy one effeminate character. The only prominent female characters are two Ophelia, Laertes sister and Polonius daughter and Gertrude, the queen and wife of Claudius and father of Hamlet. This essay will explore the character, role, and importance of Gertrude. Prince Hamlet initially appears in the play dressed in solemn black. His mother, Gertrude, is apparently disturbed by this and requests of him Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off, And let thine eye bearing like a friend on Denmark. Do not for ever with thy vailed lids Seek for thy noble father in the dust Thou knowst tis honey oil all that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity. (1.2) The queen evidently considers her sons dejection to result from his fathers demise. She joins in with the king in requesting Hamlets stay in Elsinore quite an than returning to Wittenberg to study. Resp ectfully the son replies, I shall in all my dress hat obey you, madam. So at the outset the audience notes a by all odds good relationship between Gertrude and those about her in the drama, even though Hamlets suit of mourning has been a visible and unrestricted protest against the royal marriage, a protest in which he is completely alone, and in which he has hurt his mother (Burton Hamlet). Hamlets first soliloquy expresses his anger at the quickness of his mothers marriage to Claudius, and its incestuousness since it is between family Frailty, thy name is woman . . . . When the ghost talks in camera to Hamlet, he learns not only about the murder of his father, but to a fault about th... ...the climax approaches, Osric invites Hamlet to a rapier contest with Laertes. During the checkmate Gertrude drinks from the cup poisoned by the king to kill Hamlet. As she dies, she speaks, The drink, the drink I am poisoned, which words motivate Laertes to confess that the king is behi nd the treachery. gum olibanum he dies by Hamlets hand. Then Hamlet and Laertes die, weakened by the poisoned sword meant for Hamlet. Thus, once again, Gertrude is pivotal, is crucial for plot development. WORKS CITED Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999. Burton, Philip. Hamlet. In The mend Voice. New York The Dial Press, 1970. http//www.freehomepages.com/ small town/other/burton-hamlet.htm No pag. Jorgensen, Paul A. Hamlet. http//www.freehomepages.com/hamlet/other/jorg-hamlet.htm No pag.