Hamlet Character Profiles: Gertrude

At the beginning of the play Gertrude’s loyalty lies with Claudius. She believes that Hamlet is losing his mind and that Claudius wants only the best for Hamlet. However, after Hamlet tells her how Claudius killed his brother she sides with Hamlet against Claudius, saving Hamlet in the end and not revealing to Claudius how much Hamlet knows.

I think that while Gertrude loves Claudius she still wants the best for her son. She dies of for him in the end and when she mourns Ophelia I can not help thinking that Gertrude hoped for Hamlet and Ophelia to be together so Hamlet would be happy. I think that Gertrude marries Claudius because she loved him before the murder. It is the only logical explanation I can find.

Gertrude could want power, could simply want to be queen but she does not strike me as that kind of person. She is emotionally frail and not particularly commanding. I can not see Gertrude marrying just to become queen. It is possible that she and Claudius fell in love after Hamlet senior’s death but I doubt this based on the time line.

Getting married after seeing each other for only four months sounds like a very rushed marriage to me. The only way that they both know they want to spend the rest of there lives together is if they had thought about getting married before the kings death. She and Claudius having an affair is the only other explanation available. That being said however I do not think that Gertrude was in on Hamlet senior’s murder. She seems too innocent in the closet scene and is too surprised by Hamlet’s accusations.

I could see her participating if she avoided the issue in the closet scene but Gertrude does not try to dodge the topic of Hamlet senior’s death. Gertrude does not strike me as a character who would murder anyone, much less there own husband. I think that Gertrude is too frail of a character for such actions. Gertrude feels guilt over marrying Claudius after learning of Claudius’s actions against his brother however. I think this may prove that Claudius and Gertrude were having an affair as well.

Gertrude feels guilt after she learns what Claudius had done but not before. She was fine with marrying Claudius when her former husband had died of natural causes but when she realizes that Claudius killed his brother to gain the crown and her hand in marriage she feels guilty for betraying her husband for Claudius. Gertrude is greatly worried about Hamlet.

Unlike Claudius, Gertrude cares about Hamlet. While Claudius orders Hamlet executed Gertrude is trying to help her son, thinking that he is losing his mind. Gertrude is worried Hamlet is losing his mind and that Claudius is not taking care of Hamlet even though he says that he will. Gertrude is also worried about her son’s love life with Ophelia. I think that Gertrude does like Ophelia since she says she hoped to one day see Ophelia and Hamlet married.

Gertrude also seems to despair that Ophelia is losing her mind. She uses the word alas several times when describing Ophelia and quickly grows quiet as Ophelia continues singing. She is greatly grieved that Ophelia has lost her mind. I think that this is because she liked Ophelia and that in the end she wanted to see Hamlet and Ophelia marry. Gertrude’s love of Ophelia and Hamlet and her belief that they can be saved makes me think that Gertrude is a caring and kind person.

If I ignore Gertrude’s actions with Claudius she strikes me as a good mother even if she is a little dull witted. However with her actions with Claudius I wonder how much her love with Claudius is real. Obviously she must love him if she marries him but I wonder if that marriage was forced somehow.

I think that one of the reasons Gertrude may care for Hamlet so much is the fact that she realizes she betrayed Hamlet seniors trust of her and that she can male it up by saving Hamlet.