You have read Carolyn Heilbrun's essay on Gertrude. Now consider the points Heilbrun makes, as well as the opinions of other critics she references. Do some thinking and studying of your own about Gertrude. Is she intelligent and verbally gifted? Is she ruled by sensual desire? Is she shallow and weak? To what extent does the action of the play pivot around her? Engage in a lively discussion with one another, but be sure to cite particular passages from the play & essay to support your ideas.
32 comments:
I agree with Heilbrun that Gertrude is not a shallow character. In fact, we see her acting as a sensible mediator, trying to appease conflicts by appealing to reason. As Heilbrun notes, in Act 1 scene 2, Gertrude first shows her sensibility in telling Hamlet that he must learn to cope with his father’s death, because “all lives must die” and no one can reverse nature (I, ii, 72). Claudius then delivers a speech on the same matter but with more “art”. In contrast, Gertrude’s short speech is kinder, more candid and more effective for Hamlet. Gertrude is also the person whom Horatio thinks fit to speak with Ophelia when she has gone mad, in order to prevent Ophelia from “[strewing] dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds” (IV, v, 15). When Laertes charges into the palace, wanting to avenge his father’s death by killing Claudius, Gertrude is the brave queen standing between the two men and preventing another “rash and bloody deed” (III, iv, 27). At Ophelia’s funeral, when Hamlet insults Laertes, Gertrude stops Laertes from charging at Hamlet, telling him: “This is mere madness, / And thus awhile the fit will work on him. / Anon, as patient as the female dove / When that her golden couplets are disclos’d, / His silence will sit drooping.” (V, i, 279-283) In this scene, the difference between Claudius’s and Gertrude’s relationship with Hamlet is pretty clear: while Gertrude speaks directly to Hamlet (V, i, 258, 263), Claudius only asks others to intervene (V, i, 257, 288, 291), never personally stepping in to stop Hamlet. In every appearance, Gertrude is actively trying to amend the wrongs, not passively going along with the situation. Although Gertrude is not as astute as Hamlet, she is not shallow and weak. She might be average in intellect but she has a strong spirit. Gertrude’s role in the play is limited by her position as a woman in a medieval court, but even then her independence and sensibility is apparent in her small but consistent attempts to hold together opposing sides in a raging conflict.
Gertrude may be weak at times but is certainly not shallow as she at first looks like. We see Gertrude immediately gravitate towards Claudius after her husband’s death, possibly because of a dependence on the men in her life. Heilbrun points out very good ideas on Gertrude, as she is actually intelligent rather than a shallow and unknowing person. I think Heilbrun is also right in saying that Gertrude indeed is being ruled by sexual desire, as even if Claudius did ensnare her with clever words, she returned the attraction by marrying him soon after her husbands death. She must have felt some guilt when she married Claudius, as she is only human, but the reason she continues on with being with Claudius is probably due to her lust that overrules her morality. Hamlet confronts Gertrude about this and Gertrude admits her sin, saying “O Hamlet, speak no more! Thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul…” (III.iv.88) Heilbrun also mentions that Gertrude is not shallow as most would think. Although she may not be brightest star in the play, she is hardly a shallow and weak-minded person. As already pointed out, Gertrude shows this when she logically guesses the cause of Hamlet’s depression “I doubt it is no other than the main, His father’s death and our o’er-hasty marriage” (II.ii.56) which shows that she knows herself that her marriage with Claudius was hasty and may have been due to her strong lust. Action-wise, there are few main events that happen around Gertrude, with the exception of when Hamlet kills Polonius and her own death. I think Heilbrun sums up the character of Gertrude nicely, saying, “Gertrude, if she is lustful, is also intelligent, penetrating, and gifted with a remarkable talent for concise and pithy speech” (last paragraph of essay).
I think that Kathy brings up a good point. Gertrude may appear superficial and rather dim at first glance not because she is lacking in intellect, but because she is overshadowed by the powerful male figures that surround her: Hamlet, Claudius, and Polonius are all imposing, formidable characters and minds. Not to mention that women in Hamlet's age were regarded as inferior and restricted to little more in the medieval court than the role of a figurehead. These social boundaries make it very hard for a woman of even the highest intelligence to make a lasting and influential impression on observers.
Although Gertrude may demonstrate her intellect in many ways, these are often surpassed by the lust that has driven her to such an abrupt marriage. She does not object to Hamlet's accusation, "You cannot call it love; for at your age the heyday in the blood is tame, it's humble, and it waits upon the judgment, and what judgment would step from this to this?" (III, iv, 75-78). Instead, she admits that Hamlet has "turn'st my eyes into my very soul," (III, iv, 97). While Gertrude's prominent lust may not suggest a lack of intelligence, it certainly creates the image of being rather shallow and suggests that her intellectual judgment is clouded by her inability to contain her desire. This impression, though, fades as her acute rationality as mediator of the various disputes becomes apparent and she is able to demonstrate her competence in judgment of not only others, but herself as well.
I find the traditional Gertrude summed up by the other critics to be too shallow in their interpretation. Just the same accusations they make at the Queen. Gertrude might be partially ruled by lustful passion and while that might be her sin it is not her undoing. She commits one act and nothing more. Other points in the play she is sweet hearted, as when she consoles Ophelia, “And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish that your good beauties be the happy cause Of Hamlet’s wildness….” While she might be overshadowed by powerful personalities she doesn’t shrink away from her role as mediator in nearly violent conflicts. The barricade she forms when Laertes charges at Claudius and Hamlet exemplify her backbone and negates off any claims of weakness from her. Her concise speech shows a great skill of observation of her surroundings, but is not limited to others, such as when Hamlet confronts her piercing glance turns to her, “O Hamlet, speak no more! Thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul…” (III.iv.88) Her one passionate mistake does not make her a sloth and sinful woman.
I think that Gertrude is neither an exceptionally strong person nor a weak person, which is why I disagree with both Heilbrun and the critics she mentions. In the essay, Gertrude is given very little middle ground between being strong and intelligent or weak and small-minded. I believe Gertrude is in the middle; she is just average, which makes her a bit overshadowed by the men in the court, most of whom have very strong and distinctive characters. I also agree with Mohammed that though Gertrude may be ruled by lust, the lust/love is not her undoing. Though Hamlet calls her lust "Such an act that blurs the grace and blush of modesty, calls virtue hypocrite...makes marriage vows as false as dicers' oaths" (III, iv, 40-45), Gertrude is really not such a monster as he perceives her to be. Lust and intelligence are not mutually exclusive; Gertrude could easily have had both, and succumbing to lust does not make her any more shallow or wanton.
Hamlet is broken after his mother marries Claudius soon after his father's death. It seems, because his mother's actions can have such a large effect on Hamlet, that they were very close. I would feel that a mother who is shallow and weak would not have a strong relationship with her son. Or said in another way, I feel a son would not feel as close to his mother as Hamlet does to Gertrude if she is shallow and weak.
I wouldn't say Gertrude is verbally gifted because to me that sounds like she would know how to use words to her advantage without necessarily meaning them (as Claudius does). I believe with everything Gertrude says, she is being genuine, and as Heilbrun expresses, what Gertrude says does not demonstrate a shallow character.
Josh says, "Heilbrun also mentions that Gertrude is not shallow as most would think. Although she may not be the brightest star in the play, she is hardly a shallow and weak-minded person. As already pointed out, Gertrude shows this when she logically guesses the cause of Hamlet’s depression “I doubt it is no other than the main, His father’s death and our o’er-hasty marriage” (II.ii.56)". Not only does this show that she knows her sin as Josh said, but it also shows that she really does know her son, which proves a close relationship. Heilbrun cites passages where Gertrude shows her care and concern for her son. No one with that much care and concern that is genuine is shallow.
Gertrude is definitely not a shallow character, but some of the remarks made about her intelligence seem to be playing up her intelligence. If Gertrude was as smart as Heilbrun makes her out to be, she would suspect that Claudius had something to do with her husbands' death. However, she does have a basic grasp on how politics work and comports herself well as a queen as shown in her conversation with Ophelia prior to her meeting with Hamlet.
She has many redeeming qualities however. She realizes she has allowed herself to be weak when Hamlet confronts her in her closet; but she quickly buries those thoughts and returns to her former life. Where she could moved forward as a character, she chooses to remain how is she: self-indulgent and anxious. I think that her "oer-hasty marriage" with Claudius was one way for her to bury her greif. Their marriage is rebound gone wrong. This is her real weakness. Her marriage to Claudius would seem to the common folk to be the correct course for the health and help of the kingdom, when really her thoughts were all for herself. Its not like she did much for the kingdom anyway. She was the Queen; she had little actual power. But in marrying Claudius she excersised her momentary power by creating a new king. Gertrude is a cocktail of selflessness and selfishness. I did like the essay because it showed how little previous thought was given to Gertrude and how all those tweed-shod professors dismissed her as a woman and a character.
I found Carolyn Heilbrun’s thoughts to be quite insightful! As with most of the critics she mentions, I too had taken a rather shallow view of Hamlet’s mother. I thought her character weak, her mind irresolute, and her principles absent. After reading Heilbrun’s essay, I questioned why I held the opinion of Gertrude I did, and I came to the conclusion that my opinion of Gertrude was, for the most part, based on assumptions. I assumed that she was either involved in King Hamlet’s death or at least knowledgeable of its imminence. Also, I hadn’t thought critically about the lines Shakespeare gave her. After being exposed to Heilbrun’s argument, I see that the character of Gertrude is more than meets the eye.
There is ample evidence to support the claim that Gertrude is intelligent. Heilbrun uses the Queen’s response to Claudius in Act II, Scene ii when he says that Polonius thinks he knows the cause of Hamlet’s insanity: “I doubt it is no other than the main, his father’s death and our o’er-hasty marriage.” While the other character in the play are perplexed by Hamlet’s temperament and jump to the wrong conclusions as Hamlet may hope for, Gertrude is not fooled. She is astute enough to know the real reason for Hamlet’s act. Additionally, we see that she is pithy and rational, as Heilbrun argues, by her “more matter with less art” line to Polonius that we’ve previously discussed in class. No fool tells someone to cut to the chase, only someone actually interested in reason.
If Gertrude is not flighty, fickle, or stupid, there must be some other reason that she married her late husband’s brother so quickly. I think Heilbrun hits the nail on the head when she explains Gertrude’s actions. Heilbrun notes Granville-Barker’s mistake in thinking that a forty-five year-old women cannot feel any sexual passion. She says, “This is one of the mistakes which lie at the heart of the misunderstanding about Gertrude.” Everyone has their faults, and Gertrude’s great transgression is her lust, which she even confesses, more evidence to support the idea that she thinks rationally and sees reality for what it is. As Heilbrun put it, Gertrude is a slave to passion. There is not enough evidence to support the claim that she is weak and shallow, but rather intelligent, rational, and, indeed, verbally gifted (not in the same way her husband is, but more so in succinct speech.) Gertrude is a character that cannot be underestimated, and who is crucial to the action of the play.
I am of the opinion that Gertrude is neither stupid nor exceptionally flawed. On the matter of her intelligence it is made clear time and time again that she is intelligent. She is, of all save Horatio, the best at communicating with Hamlet. She is, as Heilburn states, direct with her words, but not without empathy or tact. Rather than trying to comfort Hamlet at the beggining with flowery words as Claudius or Polonius are want to do, she appeals to his mind, his sense of logic, which she has much respect for, when she says "Thou know'st 'tis common, all that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity."(I, ii, 76-77) She is accutely awre of what she is doing, and what's more, how to do it properly.
Now to the matter of her "flaw": lust. My problem with this cocept is two fold. Gertrude seems to me neither flawed nor lustful. Certainly her actions are easy to interpret that way, but is it really lust which leads her to marry Claudius? If we are to say that Gertrude is intelligent, as much of the evidence provided in Heilburn's essay points to, as does the way she speaks to Hamlet, than why is it so difficult to believe that she couldn't truly love Claudius? Is it that Claudius is so obviously a bad man? You see, I am not convinced Claudius is all that bad. Certainly he has done horrid, vicious, and altogether disgusting things to achieve his ends, but what evidence is there to believe that this is the man he wishes to be? "My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent" he says when he wishes to pray. At the beggining of the play, indeed untill the time that Hamlet shows himself to be a threat to Cladius' life it is implied that he truly is worried about his nephew. Because Claudius is not so wretched a man I would say that Gertrude has not the tragic flaw of lust, but, like Oedipus before her, because a simple, even noble, desire she makes a decision which dooms her.
As Sarah brought up Gertrude and Hamlet would not be as close if Gertrude was weak. Hamlet loved his mother and I feel that if she had been weak or shallow then Hamlet would have not had these feelings for her. Marrying Claudius on the outwards appearances does make Gertrude seem weak and shallow, at least to me. Like, she can't bear to be without a man. But I don't think that is true, I think she loves Claudius.
I can't decide if I think Gertrude had been unfaithful to the late King Hamlet or not. I do agree with Heilbrun that she was driven by lust but this could have been even before the King's death. But either way, I think it takes some strength and courage (though it is in a twisted way), to marry Claudius. She must have known that people would look down upon it or at least that it would hurt Hamlet.
I think that Gertrude just wants everything to be ok and forget about what might be really happening. This doesn't mean that she is stupid more that she just chooses to ignore what is around her even if she plainly knows the truth.
Critics discussing the queen Gertrude as “shallow and feminine” are oversimplifying an “intelligent, penetrating, and gifted” woman (Heilburn). Would Shakespeare place a flat character in his drama? If Gertrude is simply a creature of womanly instinct, she would be an object, not a Shakespearian character. Heilbrun points out that many literary critics see Gertrude as such. Professor Bradely describes Gertrude as “very dull and very shallow” - which made me flinch. Similar to how Marlow views women in Heart of Darkness, Bardely sees Gertrude as a woman who believes “the world is a place constructed simply that people may be happy in it”. This essay-reading assignment seems like a veiled reminder to not oversimplify. To call Gertrude “a sheep” is akin to calling Hamlet “insane”.
I agree with Heilbrun, if only to oppose the classical critics. Gertrude is a strong queen, who marries a logical and passionate match. In Heilbrun’s own words, the critics “fail to see Gertrude for the strong-minded, intelligent, succinct, and, apart from this passion, sensible woman that she is”. Gertrude’s intellect, clarity of speech, and dedication to her position imparted young Hamlet with an intelligence suiting a young king. Her behavior is stately; she rescues Claudius from a faux pas when he misnames Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. She also demonstrates the same intelligence Hamlet has when she describes Hamlet’s confrontation to Claudius. Though not hiding that Hamlet killed Polonious, she “adds, however, that he now weeps for what he has done” (Heilbrun). Gertrude protects her son as any devoted mother would. Kathy’s litany of Gertrude’s actions provides a nearly exhaustive list of evidence in favor of Gertrude’s strength of spirit and role as a “sensible mediator” – but I disagree with Kathy’s view that Gertrude is of middling intellect (Xiong). Gertrude’s speech to Hamlet in the beginning of the play, and it’s compassion, demonstrate both intellect and empathy. Bryn provides an excellent piece of evidence examined by Heilbrun supporting Gertrude’s astuteness. Gertrude recognizes the cause of Hamlet’s insanity: “I doubt it no other than the main, his father’s death and our o’er-hasty marriage”.
After reading Heilbrun’s position on Gertrude, I must agree that she is a realist. Though Heilbrun did not use those words, she wrote all Gertrude’s words demonstrate “the ability to see reality clearly, and to express it.” During our peak into the Ideological Map of Elsinore, I wrote in my notebook that Gertrude was an idealist, providing this evidence: has a good moral character, wants the best for people, and feels guilt at using Ophelia. But her defense of Hamlet is not idealism; she is scared of her son, recognizes his danger to everyone, and from this reality makes the decision to protect her son’s reputation by describing him as more human and regretful.
I very much agree with Carolyn Heilbrun's description of Gertrude as a strong, sensible woman, whose one personality flaw contributes significantly to the tragedy of Hamlet. This flaw being her passion and womanly desires for her late husband's brother Claudius. Heilbrun points out how many critics, like Bradley, err in describing Gertrude as "shallow and feminine... incapable of any sustained rational process, superficial and flighty" by pointing out key moments in which Gertrude demonstrates intelligence, eloquence, and a realist prospective of the situations presented to her. For example, Gertrude demonstrates her love and practicality when she advises Hamlet to stop wearing black and subside on his grief in order to ease his mind and emotions. Heilbrun also points out that Gertrude is also very aware of why Hamlet may be acting so strange, stating that "I doubt it is no other than the main, His father's death and our o'er hasty marriage" to Claudius upon hearing Polonius's reasoning for Hamlet's madness.
Although I had not thought much of Gertrude as a well-developed and complex character before, I feel Heilbrun's description of Gertrude holds up upon examination of the character. Her speeches are indeed consise and reflect those of a loving, strong-minded woman. Heilbrun's explanation for why such an intelligent woman would have entered into a hasty marriage with her dead husband's brother is also justifiable. Though Gertrude is a strong-minded woman, she does have wants, needs, and desires for love. This factors greatly into her decision to marry Claudius, who, as the Ghost says, has all the charm and wit to win over the Queen's heart. Undoubtedly, it is Gertrude's hamartia of emotions and womanly needs that leads her to make the fateful decision to remarry, not foolishness or stupidity on her part, as other critics have implied.
Gertrude is also a pivotal character because her son, Prince Hamlet's decision to avenge his father ultimately revolves around her decision to marry the despised Claudius. King Hamlet's Ghost calls her his "seeming virtuous Queen" and implicates her betrayal to him as an add-on to the ultimate betrayal of fratricide committed against him by Claudius. Prince Hamlet takes the Ghost's speech to heart and vows to kill Claudius, but not before denouncing all women with the famous line "Frailty, thy name is woman" upon assessing the mistakes of his mother. Indeed, Gertrude is the initiator of the tragedy since her marriage to Claudius (in addition to the King's death, in which she was not involved) sets off the unraveling of Prince Hamlet's being.
I was a little surprised reading the essay and hearing such passionate arguments from both sides. Maybe I did not look at her critically enough, but I always perceived her to be the “normal” one. (Yes, I know, what is normal anyway?) I suppose that’s not the right word, I guess she seemed the most human to me. She had flaws, but isn’t it human nature to be flawed? She didn’t go insane, she didn’t murder anyone, and until people start dying, she seems pretty happy. I agree with Heilbrun, she’s just a woman who fell in love (or lust as she puts it) at an older age. I don’t think that a woman of shallow feelings would become so carried away by the passion she has for Claudius. There is nothing to be gained by marrying Claudius except for love. As for those that want to attack her intelligence, lets be reasonable. Would a woman in medieval times have the opportunity or ability to become as educated as Claudius or Hamlet? If she is not the brightest light bulb in the kingdom, it’s likely because of the fact that she’s a woman, not that she’s inherently shallow or stupid. The point that I find particularly important, probably because I’m an actor, is that Shakespeare gives her the lines he does for a reason. She doesn’t say much, but because of that, what she says is especially important. As Heilbrun states, “Her speeches have been short, however warm and loving, and conciseness of statement is not the mark of a dull and shallow woman” (203). With so little dialogue, an actor has to look very carefully at what her characters says, when she says it, and what drives her to say it, not just at what the other characters say about her.
On that note, there was another point that I had not thought of before, the ghost’s state of mind. In the essay, Heilbrun points out that “it is quite probable that the elder Hamlet still considered himself married to Gertrude, and he is moreover revolted that her lust for him…should have so easily transferred to another” (206). In our class discussions, we’ve been extrapolating about Gertrude and Claudius’ relationship from what we’ve learned in the ghost’s speech to Hamlet (at least, I have). However, this new point would make many of the adjectives he uses such as “shameful lust” and “wicked wit and gifts, that have the power so to seduce” erroneous due to bias. Well, perhaps not completely erroneous, but it does put a different spin on the situation, doesn’t it?
I disagree with Heilbrun; Gertrude is a shallow character. She is of course one of the main reasons for Hamlet's anger, as shown in Hamlet's soliloquy in the first act. However, the play does not "pivot" around her, as more of the play is centered around Hamlet's desire for revenge on Claudius. But the fact that she is important to the play does not make her not-shallow, or strong as a character. In fact, she is weak and predictable throughout the play. She does accurately predict the reason for hamlet's anger, but this is not due to intelligence. Instead, it is due to the fact that she is the person who best understands Hamlet in the play- his mother. As Granville-Baker said "she is drawn for us with unemphatic strokes, and she has but a passive part in the play's action." Other than being a reason for Hamlet's discontent, she has no major direct impact on the play. Gertrude is an important character to the play, but she is also weak, simple, and two-dimensional.
My first impression of the Queen as a reasonable and thoughtful ruler came from the scene in which Claudius tells Gertrude that Polonius seems to know what is upsetting Hamlet. “I doubt it is no other but the main: His father’s death and our o’erhasty marriage” (II. ii. 56-57). At first, I thought that Gertrude was a minor character, who only held a role for falling for the wit and sweet talk of Claudius for lust, but after reading this passage, I felt a certain directness from the Queen, as well as a high level of maturity. I totally disagree with Granville-Barker, who states, “Gertrude, the woman who does not mature, who clings to her youth and all that belongs to it…” She takes responsibility for everything she says, and is caring towards everyone. Yearning for love does not mean immaturity. She seemed to be walking in the shadow of Claudius and agreeing with everything he says, like all of the critics mentioned in Heilbrun’s essay have mentioned. But it turns out, she’s a strong woman that is anything but weak to her own emotions. In the beginning of Act 1, the Queen orders Hamlet to stop wearing black and respect his new father. Basically, as mentioned by Heilbrun, she doesn’t want Hamlet to waste energy and mind to the passion of grief. It’s true that she sees and takes things for the way things are, but not in ignorance, fear, or foolishness, but because of gift for being able “to see reality clearly, and to express it” (205). Hamlet’s mother is fully aware of the lust that cost her to do such a sin, but isn’t afraid to admit it. This proves how strong-minded she is, retaining her dignity even at the hardest times. Critics, like Professor Bradley, see her as shallow and feminine, only caught in the middle of the whole conflict. She may seem week, because she wants to make “Everything comfortable,” in Professor Bradley’s words, and simple. I see it as a good characteristic of Gertrude, because she lags onto nothing and moves on. Foreseeing danger, she takes responsibility to tell Laertes of his sister’s death; she only wishes to get to the point to prevent any misunderstandings, and therefore more drama. The Queen knows how to control her emotions as well. When she realizes her death is soon to come, she warns Hamlet that the drink is poisoned and leaves those words as her last.
I just looked over my blog post on the philosophies of major characters and realized how perfectly I fit into the group that Heilbrun criticized. On face, Gertrude is a shallow character distinguished by her lustful desire and narrative illusion of happiness. To a large degree, I agree with Heilbrun that upon closer examination, Gertrude turns out to be a strong-minded and intelligent woman, but I also think that she is given a little too much credit. Even though Heilbrun justifies Gertrude’s hasty marriage with Claudius by claiming as Callie states, “[being] carried away by the passion she has for Claudius,” we cannot forget that this action required a particular lack of empathy. In fact, when Hamlet talks with Claudius and Gertrude in Act 1 Scene 2 (as Kathy pointed out), Gertrude basically tells Hamlet to get over it. So maybe she isn’t stupid, simply insensitive. I think her tactlessness combined with an understanding of her concise and intelligent demeanor provides a more accurate depiction of Gertrude. Only at the point when Hamlet begins to act mad does his mother start to care about the implications of her action. At this point, she hatches schemes to uncover the causes of Hamlet’s distress, one of which plans leads to the death of Polonius. Such actions establish her importance in the play. Gertrude is the reason (or at least part of the reason) why Claudius killed old man Hamlet, why young Hamlet did not become king, why Hamlet turned against some of his friends (no one could play him like a flute!), why Hamlet killed Polonius, and why Hamlet did not drink some poisoned Kool-Aid. Overall, Gertrude is an extremely significant character.
I did not completely agree with Heilbrun’s image of Gertrude, but I did think many of his points were valid. The other critics’ analyses portray Hamlet’s mother as lacking a certain amount of humanity: the region of intelligence that, though some people rarely display it, still exists in every person and thus Shakespeare’s characters. A “sheep in the sun” is not an accurate description of any human, no matter how ignorant they may seem (qtd. in Heilbrun).
Gertrude is by no means ignorant. A member of the Danish court, she must possess an amount of at least technological know-how. She must have a certain level of intelligence, as she displays in the scene when she reminds her new husband rather humorously of the identities of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. “Thanks, Rosencrantz and gentle Guildenstern,” says Claudius. “Thanks, Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz” corrects Gertrude (II, II, 35-36). This is also an example of Gertrude’s “usual pointed conciseness” that Heilbrun stresses. Gertrude is indeed “succinct,” but this does not necessarily make her “strong-minded” (Heilbrun).
My former classification of Gertrude still stands; she remains an idealist. However, I have found her idealism to be less “like a sheep in the sun” and actually more grounded in selfishness with some roots emerging from lust. Though not aggressive outright like Fortinbras, Gertrude finds a way to often get things her way. She has, of course, motherly concern for her son’s safety, but as for the personal affairs of her own life, she has become quite successful at quiet, womanly manipulation. Per her request, Hamlet refrains from traveling back to Wittenburg, though the pleas of powerful Claudius fell on deaf ears. “I shall in all my best obey you, madam,” Hamlet assents (I, II, 124). The roots of lust is what Hamlet dwells on: “Why, she would hang on [her husband]/As if increase of appetite had grown/By what it fed on. And yet, within a month/…/A little month, or ere those shoes were old” (I, II, 147-151). She received what she wanted with her previous husband and, once those lusts were made impossible, turned to another subject. Because her latest act of selfishness and lust was so “incestuous,” her desires have been unearthed and Hamlet confronts her (I, II, 163). Only then does Gertrude realize the rocky trail her passions have led her onto, crying “Thou turn’st my eyes into my very soul/And there I see such black and grained spots/As will not leave their tinct” (III, IV, 99-101). From then on, Gertrude’s manner changes into more mellow and loving, shaken from her previous lustfulness or, as the colloquialism states, “knocked some sense into.”
With slight risk of overdoing my post length I must comment on one thing. I find Heilbrun’s last statement quite ridiculous as she compares Gertrude’s “Sweets to the sweet” phrase to Horatio’s farewell to Hamlet. “Sweets to the sweet” does sound shallow, no matter how similar to Horatio’s utterances they may seem. (In context with the rest of the play, however, Gertrude is hardly shallow.)
Gertrude is neither shallow nor weak—nor is she “like a sheep in the sun”, as Professor Bradley stated. She may be pleased to see others around her happy, but she’s no fool who only lives for that purpose. Gertrude has a gift for knowing/seeing the root of problems; she knows why Hamlet is upset: “I doubt it is no other than the main,/His father’s death and our o’er-hasty marriage.” (II.ii.56-57)
A point that Heilbrun makes is that Gertrude knows her wrongs and feels guilty; she knows her actions have been driven by lust, and admits it. “O Hamlet, speak no more!/Thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul,/And there I see such black and grained spots/As will not leave their tint. (III.iv.88-89)
Another point made is the similarity between Gertrude and Horatio. They both share a “remarkable talent for concise and pithy speech”(Shakespeare Quarterly, 206).
Gertrude scattering flowers at Ophelia’s grave: “Sweets to the sweet”.
Horatio at the end: “Good night sweet prince.”
I don't see myself siding with or against Heilbrun, at times I thought she was right on and other parts she seemed to be looking too far into certain situations. She did open my eyes to the fact that Gertrude is a deeper character than I had first thought. At first I believed that Gertrude was a typical weak woman character who's bad decisions led to Hamlet's rage, but after reading the article I see that at times she is actually quite well spoken in the small ammount of dialogue that she has throughout the play. In her first talk with Hamlet in which she basically tells him to move on after the death of his father she is surprisingly knowledgable to the dangers of grief. This is our first clue that Gertrude is in no way an "idiot" for she is capable of "seeing the essence of every situation presented before her eyes." This becomes more apparent throughout the play. What really stands out to me is that she actually admits that she was driven to Claudius by lust and not love. By making a distinction between the two she obviously is not dull in any means, for it is simple to mistake one for the other. I agree completely by a statement that Heilbrun makes: "If [Gertrude] is not profound, she is certainly never silly". I find this completely true, her statements are never very deep, but she is capable of speaking not completely obvious truths.
I think when you consider Gertrude’s role in the play you have to look at the play in its entirety and refrain from looking at her from the other character’s views which I think the other critics, not Heilburn, are sort of doing. The men see her as inferior, the Ghost doesn’t want to trouble her with the death and Claudius used her to gain power. In context of this play I do believe that Gertrude is verbally gifted as Heilbrun has stated. The play is full of characters who are circumloquacious or speak in a manner meant to jab or confuse their audience, so Gertrude sticks out. It’s a gift to us, the readers, in a way. She gets straight to the point and brings the audience up to speed on what is going on, she’s like the chorus of the Greek tragedies. Speaking succinctly does not necessarily mean that she is shallow as Professor Bradley states. Just because she glazes over the superficial matters in hand does not make her shallow, she is able to voice her thoughts and her emotions about people better than anyone else. She cares about Ophelia’s death, she voices her concern for Hamlet’s mental health, and she faces her own sins. As for her “being driven by lust,” that can be debated. If you place yourself in Gertrude’s shoes, Gertrude needs someone with her. She’s not necessarily weak but she plays the role of the wife well. She knows her place in the kingdom, domesticity of sorts, like standing up for her husband when Laertes comes. That feeling of providing for people and being there runs through her blood and when old Hamlet dies, she is searching for that place once again, Claudius gives her the chance and she takes it. She’s not weak nor shallow, she has a position in her life and in the play that she carries out in a methodical manner.
Heilbrun brought up several points adamantly defending Queen Gertrude against her critics. After reading the essay, I see (like a lot of people commented) that Gertrude is not as weak and shallow as she initially appears. To me, she first came off as a relatively unimportant character, heavily dependent on men and constantly overshadowed by the strong, assertive male figures in her life, and she is pushed around and toyed with by Hamlet in act III, scene iv. I do agree with Evan, however, that Heilbrun gives Gertrude a bit more credit than she deserves. Heilbrun seems too eager to overlook Gertrude’s faults and to justify her every action. Gertrude can be a bit insensitive, shown by letting her lustful desires determine her actions, and she is not nearly as intelligent as the other main characters of the play.
Gertrude’s dialogue, which to some critics makes her seem shallow or stupid, shows that she is a simple, straight-forward person. By this I mean that Gertrude is not as eloquent with her speech as, say, Polonius or Claudius or Hamlet is. Heilbrun identifies her clarity and succinctness, as shown by her brief but potent lines (and also over-quoted in this blog, I apologize): “I doubt it is no other than the main, his father’s death and our o’er-hasty marriage” to Claudius concerning the cause of Hamlet’s madness (II.ii.56), and “More matter with less art” to Polonius during a particularly rambling discourse (II, ii, 103). Gertrude’s concise and to-the-point line were a relief to me; I don’t know about anyone else, but all of Hamlet’s extended contemplations, Polonius’s wordy streams of consciousness, and Claudius’s formal orations got a bit draining after a while.
Heilbrun glorified Gertrude’s “ability to see reality clearly, and to express it” (205). I think that this is an important aspect of Gertrude, who while not a very profound or insightful character, played a very crucial role in the origin of the main conflict of the play, and also provides a little normalcy and simplicity, as Callie described.
I find myself confused over Gertrude's character.On the one hand I do think of her as a sheep happily sitting in the sun. She is completely fine with the fact that her husband was murdered, happily marries the murdered, and remains happy until Hamlet blocks out her sun with his raincloud of insanity. But on the other hand, she cares for her son on the deepest possible level and it greatly disturbs her to see him so unhappy.
Gertrude is a very "hit and miss" character for me. She is very empathic and knows what is bothering her son; "I doubt it is no other than the main / His father's death and our o'er-hasty marriage." (II.ii.56-57) but chooses to do nothing to help her son and instead allows her murdering husband to use his friends to spy on him and his love to manipulate him.
She's strong-willed in some ways and weak in others and I haven't quite decided how I feel about her.
I like how this essay was written. I was easily able to follow Heilbrun's ideas and his interpretations of Gertrude's lines. Which led me to my own interpretations of "the mother of the hero, the widow of the Ghost, and the wife of the current King of Denmark". And can I just say that Gertrude is already semi-amazing in my book, because that is a hefty role to play. Seriously pause and think about what she is mentally going through. Recently deceased husband, new husband, possibly mad son and a looming ghost!
Keeping this in mind throughout my anaysis, I have deemed Gertrude fairly intelligent and an important character in the play. Her intelligence shines through in her clear and concise language, even through her times of distress. I think notice of her language is impotant for two reasons.
First, as already touched on above, Ophelia is quite outspoken as a women in this era. I would even deem her courageous as she shares her thoughts with the royal court, opposed to just tagging on an amen to the words of Claudius.
Second, she is concise. I did not realize how honest she was until I read Heilbrun's essay. Seriously, this girl knows how to effectively share her ideas and get what she wants done, and that is impressive.
I think Heilbrun might describe her best, "Gertrude, if she is lustful, is also intelligent, penetrating, and gifted with a remarkable talent for concise and pithy speech."
Although I may have considered Gertrude a bit of a softy, an emotionally-centered woman, I have never considered her to have a soft, or weak personality. I disagree with the critics that Gertrude is "incapable of any sustained rational process, superficial and flighty." Like I said, I think that she might be focused on her emotions and her happiness, further I think that she is an idealist. Ideally, marrying Claudius would make Hamlet and the people of Denmark happy, after all they will have a well-spoken and charismatic king. However, I think that Gertrude's idealism is one of her downfalls because she was not sensitive to Hamlet's true feelings about her new marriage, "O, most wicked speed, to post/ With such dexterity to incestuous sheets" says Hamlet in his first soliloquoy (I, ii, 155-6).
Further, she doesn't consider Hamlet's humiliation at the incestuous nature of her marriage to his uncle. I think, however, that Gertrude attempts to rectify some of her rash and superficial decisions. Speaking with Claudius, Gertude attempts to explain Hamlet's anger, "I doubt it is no other but the main,/ His father's death and our o'erhasty marriage," (II, ii, 56-7). Quoted in the essay, Granville-Barker says Shakespeare "gives us in Gertrude the woman who does not mature, who clings to her youth..." Simply based on my prior quote from Shakespeare, I disagree in that Gertrude does mature and realizes some the effect of some of her behaviors.
Now, I agree with some of the entrees before me that Gertrude is lustful, and I agree with Heilbrun that the critics have Gertrude wrong, in that they do not see this lust, believing that "a woman about forty-five years of age cannot feel any sexual passion nor arouse from it." In Hamlet, I believe that Shakespeare made every character round and Gertrude is no exception, the critics attempts to ignore Gertrude's lust lose a critical component of her character, and thus make her seem more two-dimensional then she actually is.
Gertrude is without a doubt, a vital character of this play. She is the wife King Hamlet, the wife of Claudius, Queen of Denmark, and the mother of Hamlet. As such a pivotal character of this Shakespearian tragedy, there has to be more to Gertrude than a “very dull and very shallow” woman as Professor Bradley suggests. In alliance with the Elizabethan time period, Gertrude, as a woman, obviously could not hold the powerful presence that the other male characters possessed. She, as any dutiful wife and woman of her time, speaks only when necessary and never speaks with a commanding or powerful tone. However, her lack of power does not automatically categorize her into a shallow and oblivious character. In fact, Gertrude is very aware and alert of the situation surrounding the events that have unfolded. She is a doting mother who understands how her son feels about “his father’s death and our o’er-hasty marriage” (II, ii, 56). She knows her son feels devastated by the death of King Hamlet and attempts to rationalize his death by saying “all that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity” (I, ii, 72). She even recognizes that her decision to marry the brother of her recently deceased husband stain her soul with “black and grained spots” (III, iv, 91). If Gertrude were a completely naïve and oblivious character who only lives innocently on the surface, she would not have automatically concluded that her son’s madness was driven by the death and sudden marriage, explained death so gently to her son, or felt guilty that her marriage was driven by her own lustful desires.
However, I agree with Shruti and Callie that although she is not completely shallow, she is not as “intelligent, penetrating, and gifted with a remarkable talent for concise and pithy speech” as Heilburn plays her up to be. Gertrude is not stupid, but from the brief lines she speaks, the depth of Gertrude is no where near characters such as Claudius and Hamlet. As Callie put it, Gertrude is the “normal” one. Although she possesses flaws as any other human does, she tries to stay grounded as everyone around her is going crazy, spiteful, and revengeful. She is merely trying to hold together a shattered vase.
While I enjoyed the article and found myself agreeing with a number of Heilbrun's points, I remain of the opinion that the Queen is a rather shallow character. Interesting, yes, and perhaps three dimensional, even, but from my point of view, she remains a to be a lacking when it comes to personality. She is predictable, stereotypical, and, as Bradley states, "dull". Maybe this is a matter of personal taste, or maybe it is the fact that the Queen is often seen together with "superior" characters such as the King or Hamlet, but I feel that Gertrude is indeed "animally" simplistic.
Heilburn seems to defend the character of the Queen by analyzing her motives for some of her more interesting actions, such as her statement "I doubt it is no other than the main; His father's death and our o'er-hasty marriage" (II. ii. 56-57). and "And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish; That your good beauties be the happy cause; Of Hamlet's wildness. So shall I hope your virtue" (III. i. 38-42) However, those acts remain to me motivated by a simple wish to do good and make peace, a mother's wish for her son's happiness. Stereotypical rather than shockingly deep.
I found myself agreeing with the majority of the arguments Heilbrun used in her essay. I find Gertrude as the all around caring mother and queen. She is not trying to play any games she is simply concerned about her loved ones and what she may have done to cause any sort of distress. Gertrude has a lot on her plate, “the mother of the hero, the widow of the Ghost, and the wife of the current King of Denmark”, with all the ups and downs, her emotional state or what may seem like self centered actions.
Gertrude’s actions are brought by her caring characteristics and what she says and does is genuine. If what she says or does, does not seem so it is probably because even as a concerned mother, widow and wife she still carries the role of a Queen. As a Queen she has that characteristic where she must present to everyone that everything is pleasant and fine and she must do it with class. Gertrude does just that.
I agree with some points made by Kathy and Austin as Gertrude does offer a hidden intellect, which is glanced upon at times during the play, such as when Gertrude stands between Laertes and Claudius when Laertes comes into the royal palace wanting to kill Claudius. Overall though I somewhat disagree with Heilbrun, I believe Gertrude is very shallow and weak. Right as her true husband King Hamlet dies, she flees to Claudius, using him as a shelter, as a blanket for love. Gertrude is more focused on keeping her name in the royal family; this action makes her shallow and weak. She switches lovers within a glance between King Hamlet and Claudius, which over powers any intellect she shows. One place in the play where her intellect shines is the conversation between Claudius, Gertrude and Polonius, “More matter, with less art” (II,ii,97). Though Claudius was in the room as an imposing figure, Gertrude had the intelligence to order Polonius. Multiple times during the play Gertrude shows great intellect, but it is all superficial because inside she is a coward, fleeing right to her true husband’s brother without shedding even a tear.
Even greater than Hamlet, I believe Gertrude plays a more pivotal role. She is one of the reasons Hamlet is mad, and thus forces Hamlet into the Act II scene ii soliloquy, “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt thaw and resolve itself into a dew....”Hamlet pictures his mothers marrying and riding away with Claudius, which just bites Hamlet from inside. He is shocked that after his father’s death Gertrude didn’t shed a tear, but went under Claudius’ blanket. This defines Gertrude’s pivotal role in the play.
This comment box hates me. It refuses to let me copy and paste.
------------------
After reading through Heilbrun's paper on Getrude, I think of her as more of an intelligent person than the shallow women I had thought of her before. She does have her wits about her; Gertrude's comments to Polonius ("more matter with less art" [line 103, act 2.2]), observations of Hamlet ("I doubt it is no other than the main--/his father's death and our o'erhasty marriage" [line 59-60, act 2.2]), and admonishes to Hamlet to stop grieving all show that she is not the shallow women that I initially thought her to be. The queen also knows how to keep her words concise and effective, which Polonius seems to have a hard time doing, which ruins the effect of his words.
However, she is weak. She gives into temptation, marrying Claudius when she knows full well that her marriage seems incestuous. She allows Polonius to spy when she talks to Hamlet. She never seems sad about her ex-husband's death. However, I don't think Gertrude is ruled to by sensual desire. It makes up part of her, but it isn't the reason for why she married Claudius.
Although Gertrude is not the center of action, she certainly does play a large role in the plot. She sets the play in motion by marrying Claudius only two months after the elder Hamlet's death. The queen contributes more when lets Polonius hid during her conversation with Hamlet, which results in Polonius's death and the Laerte's vow to revenge.
Do I have the honor of being last?
For the most part I agree with Heilbrum’s essay and analysis. Though she is not a particularly intelligent woman, Gertrude is far from stupid. Many times she goes with the flow, as when she tells Claudius that Hamlet has killed Polonius. However, with her saying “To draw apart the body he hath killed/O’er whom his very madness, like some ore/Among a mineral of metals base/Shows itself pure. He weeps for what is done” (IV, 1), we can see that she still pads the truth to protect Hamlet (who clearly had no regrets after stabbing Polonius). I also do not think Gertrude is the greatest rhetoritician, but by no means is her style bad. Bluntness serves as much a purpose as eloquence, and with the abundance of crafty politicians and facades (Polonius, Claudius, and Hamlet), it is refreshing to have a character that is willing to cut through it all (“I doubt it is no other than the main/His father’s death and our o’er hasty marriage” (II, 2).).
I do not think it is possible to take up a position against the assertation that Gertrude is commanded by her lust when she admits it herself during Hamlet’s confrontation (“Thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul” (III, 4).). She marries Claudius for this very reason, rather than, as opponents of Heilbrum’s position say, because he has deceived her with his witty tongue (though Claudius’s tongue is probably a reason she desires him *wink wink* *nudge nudge*). However, this does not make her shallow. Gertrude seems to be the only one that cares for Ophelia and wishes them both a pleasant life (which unfortunately is hard to achieve when everyone dies). That she recognizes her own weakness is further evidence that she has depth. We can see that she is far from weak through her argument with Hamlet. Rather than plead for her life, Gertrude questions her son’s ability to kill her.
Many of the motivations and plot lines of the play revolve around Gertrude. Her “adultery” with Claudius is the cause of Hamlet’s scorn for women, and in his confrontation Polonius dies, an action which sets the final scenes into motion. In Ophelia’s death comes a warning that saves Hamlet’s life (for the time being). Gertrude is a character that is both refreshing and can hold her ground against the other big players of Shakespeare’s play.
I agree with pretty much everybody on this blog so far in that Gertrude is an intelligent woman. As intelligent as Barack Obama that is. For what sovereign, seeking to maintain order in the dips and pirouets of political intrigue does not have to make controversial decisions to acheive political ends. As Jeremy Bentham would say, "In order to attain the greatest good for the greatest number, certain individual rights must be sacrificed." The right that may be given up in this situation is Hamlet's right to see his father properly mourned for a sizable period of time. In the world of medieval politics, when a king dies, it is the time, as Byron from Bud not Buddy would say, "for all the chiuahua's to come out of the woodwork" and try to take the throne. A queen that has survived longer than her husband must the deal with this charged atmosphere. A wrong political move could get forcibly removed from power, beheaded, or her country over-run. Gertrude was like a traveler in the jungle whose fire has just gone out, and must now wait in the darkness for something to strike from the unseen. That is why when her husband's brother, a respectable, social, and good-natured chap shows up at her door she is all but ready to fall in his arms. He must have seemed the perfect solution, a face already recognized in court that the country would esteem as a man both worthy and deserving of the throne. A nice bonus was he was rather good looking.
The question has been raised, why didn't Hamlet become the king? We do not know, but the fact that he was not immediately coronated suggests that there was a legitimate reason that Hamlet was not ready for the throne. Thus the queen did not consider Hamlet becoming king as a viable solution to the kingdom's problems. Even if Hamlet felt ready to become King there are many accounts of princes who become kings too early and things do not end up turning out very well.
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.
You can also follow any responses to all entry through the RSS Comments feed.