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Character Analysis: Gertrude
Character Profile – At a Glance
Role: Queen of Denmark; mother of Hamlet; wife of Claudius (and formerly King Hamlet).
Key Traits: Affectionate, pragmatic, passive, sensual (as perceived by Hamlet), and morally ambiguous.
The Core Conflict: Her hasty marriage to Claudius disgusts Hamlet and initiates the play's central tension. She is torn between loyalty to her husband and love for her son.
Key Actions: Marries Claudius shortly after her husband's death, attempts to mediate between Claudius and Hamlet, is confronted by Hamlet in the Closet Scene, and accidentally drinks the poisoned wine.
Famous Quote: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." (Act 3, Scene 2).
The Outcome: Dies accidentally by drinking the poison intended for Hamlet, realizing Claudius's villainy in her final moments.
The Ambiguity of the Queen: Complicity or Ignorance?
Queen Gertrude is one of the most ambiguous and debated characters in Hamlet. The text provides very little insight into her inner thoughts, making her motivations difficult to determine. The central questions surrounding her character are: how much does she know, and why did she marry Claudius so quickly?
The play offers no concrete evidence that Gertrude was complicit in the murder of King Hamlet. The Ghost implicates Claudius alone, referring to Gertrude as his "seeming-virtuous queen" and instructing Hamlet to "Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive / Against thy mother aught" (Act 1, Scene 5), suggesting she is not guilty of the primary crime.
However, her actions immediately following the death define her character in the eyes of her son. She marries Claudius less than two months later, an act Hamlet views as "o’erhasty" and "incestuous" (according to the religious doctrine of the time).
Original:
O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! (Hamlet, regarding Gertrude – Act 1, Scene 2)Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
Oh, with cruel velocity
She jumped with skill to his incestuous bed.
Gertrude appears to be driven by a desire for stability, affection, and the maintenance of her status. She is often interpreted as a passive character, reliant on men and lacking the critical awareness to recognise the corruption surrounding her.
Sexuality and Sensuality
Gertrude's character is heavily defined by her sexuality, particularly as viewed through the obsessive lens of her son. Hamlet is disgusted by the physical reality of her relationship with Claudius.
While Gertrude speaks relatively little throughout the play, her presence is powerful. She seems genuinely affectionate towards Claudius, enjoying the pleasures of the court. This sensuality is what most disturbs Hamlet, who cannot reconcile the image of a grieving widow with that of a lustful wife.
The Ghost also focuses on her sexuality, describing Claudius as having won her with "witchcraft of his wit" and "traitorous gifts," and contrasting his own "dignity of love" with Claudius's ability to satiate her lust (Act 1, Scene 5).
The Closet Scene: Confrontation and Awareness
The pivotal moment in Gertrude's character arc is the Closet Scene (Act 3, Scene 4). Hamlet confronts her with brutal intensity, focusing obsessively on her sexual relationship with Claudius and forcing her to examine her conscience.
Original:
Nay, but to live
In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed,
Stew'd in corruption, honeying and making love
Over the nasty sty,— (Hamlet to Gertrude – Act 3, Scene 4)Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
Yes, but you live
Within a horrid, semen covered bed,
Dripping with corrupting, sordid sex
Like a pigsty…
Her reaction to the accusation that Claudius is a murderer seems to be one of genuine shock. The confrontation forces her to acknowledge her moral compromises, even if she remains ignorant of the central crime. She admits Hamlet has turned her eyes into her "very soul," where she sees "such black and grained spots" (Act 3, Scene 4).
Following this scene, her allegiance seems to shift subtly towards her son, though she remains outwardly compliant with Claudius.
“We can imagine a moving, aging, graceful, and sensual woman, who, by the sheer facts of her being and her remarriage, has become a focus of the obsession which is the wellspring of the tragedy.”
Maternal Love and Tragic End
Despite her moral failings, Gertrude consistently displays genuine maternal love for Hamlet and compassion for Ophelia.
She is deeply concerned by Hamlet's melancholy and desires his happiness, urging him to stay in Denmark (Act 1, Scene 2). Her relationship with Ophelia is also tender. It is Gertrude who delivers the lyrical, poignant description of Ophelia's drowning (Act 4, Scene 7), and at her funeral, she states, "I hoped thou shouldst have been my Hamlet’s wife" (Act 5, Scene 1).
Her death in the final scene (Act 5, Scene 2) is tragic and ironic. She drinks the poisoned wine intended for Hamlet. It is debated whether this act is accidental or a conscious decision to protect her son. Regardless, in her final moments, she finally recognises Claudius's villainy and uses her last breath to warn Hamlet: "O my dear Hamlet,—The drink, the drink! I am poison'd."
Key Quotes by Gertrude
Quote 1:
Original:
Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off,
And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. (Gertrude – Act 1, Scene 2)Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
Remove, dear Hamlet, your black mourning clothes
And look like you’re a friend of Denmark’s king.
Quote 2:
Original:
I doubt it is no other but the main;
His father’s death, and our o'erhasty marriage. (Gertrude – Act 2, Scene 2)Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
I’m sure it’s nothing more than what we know:
His father’s death, and speed with which we wed.
Quote 3:
Original:
The lady doth protest too much, methinks. (Gertrude – Act 3, Scene 2)Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
I think the lady witters on too much.
Quote 4:
Original:
O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain. (Gertrude – Act 3, Scene 4)Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse):
Oh Hamlet, you have broke my heart in two.
Key Takeaways
Gertrude's character is defined by her moral ambiguity; the text leaves open whether she is complicit in the corruption or merely ignorant of it.
She is the focus of Hamlet's obsession with female sexuality and the catalyst for his profound misogyny.
Motivated by a desire for stability and affection, she navigates a complex position between her husband and her son.
Her tragic death highlights her passive role throughout the play, achieving clarity only in her final moments.
Study Questions and Analysis
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The text provides no definitive evidence that Gertrude was complicit in the murder of her husband. The Ghost, while condemning her marriage to Claudius as lustful and incestuous, explicitly instructs Hamlet not to harm her, suggesting she should be left to heaven (Act 1, Scene 5).
Furthermore, her reaction during the Closet Scene (Act 3, Scene 4) when Hamlet accuses her of involvement seems to be genuine shock and confusion. Most interpretations suggest she was ignorant of the murder, though guilty of a hasty and inappropriate marriage.
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The reasons for Gertrude's hasty marriage are ambiguous and central to her characterisation. Hamlet views it as evidence of her moral weakness and uncontrollable sexual appetite ("Frailty, thy name is woman!" – Act 1, Scene 2).
However, other interpretations suggest pragmatic motives. As a woman in a patriarchal society, her power was derived entirely through her relationships with men. Marrying Claudius allowed her to maintain her status as Queen and ensure political stability in Denmark. It may also suggest she is a dependent character who craves affection and is easily seduced by Claudius's charisma.
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The Closet Scene (Act 3, Scene 4) is a pivotal confrontation between Hamlet and Gertrude. Hamlet brutally forces her to confront her sexuality and her perceived betrayal of his father.
This scene is significant because it reveals the depth of Hamlet's obsession with his mother's sexuality. It also marks a turning point for Gertrude. Her intense emotional response ("Thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul") suggests she recognizes her moral failings and begins to shift her loyalty away from Claudius and back towards Hamlet, as evidenced by her agreement to keep his secrets.
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Gertrude's knowledge of the poison in the final scene (Act 5, Scene 2) is highly debated.
Some interpretations suggest she drinks the wine unknowingly, a final victim of the court's corruption. Claudius tells her not to drink, but she playfully defies him.
Other interpretations argue that she realises the plot during the duel and drinks the poison knowingly, as an act of self-sacrifice to save her son. This interpretation grants her a moment of active heroism. The ambiguity remains, but her final words are a warning to Hamlet, indicating she understands the treachery in her dying moments.
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Gertrude embodies the restrictive roles of women in the patriarchal society of the play. Her status is entirely dependent on the men in her life. She is defined by her roles as mother and wife, rather than as an individual with independent agency.
Her character is largely explored through the male gaze, particularly Hamlet's misogynistic perspective, which views her sexuality as dangerous and corrupting. Her passivity and her reliance on Claudius highlight the limited options available to women of the era, where maintaining status often required moral compromise.
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Gertrude appears to have a genuine fondness for Ophelia. She expresses a wish that Ophelia could have married Hamlet, stating at her funeral, "I hoped thou shouldst have been my Hamlet’s wife" (Act 5, Scene 1).
When Ophelia descends into madness, Gertrude initially tries to protect her. Her description of Ophelia's death (Act 4, Scene 7) is poetic and tender, perhaps an attempt to beautify the tragedy and potentially obscure the possibility of suicide. Both women are victims of the patriarchal and corrupt world of Elsinore.
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Gertrude's strength is debatable and depends on interpretation. She is often viewed as weak and passive, lacking the critical insight to recognise Claudius's villainy and unable to resist his seduction. She is easily manipulated and fails to offer Hamlet the emotional support he needs.
However, strength can also be seen in her pragmatic survival. She maintains her position in a volatile court and handles the crises around her with regal composure. Furthermore, her subtle shift in loyalty after the Closet Scene and her defiance of Claudius in the final scene suggest a degree of inner strength and moral awareness that emerges under pressure.