The Representation of Queen Gertrude - Assignment Example

Why did you choose this quote? Why do you think this quote is representative of your character? 

Just a few days after the death of Hamlet’s father, his mother ‘Queen Gertrude’ marries Hamlet’s uncle. Hamlet gets very annoyed by the decision and rushed to his mother for some of the answers he needed from her. Hamlet starts to describe the difference in character between that of their father to that of his uncle. He said his father was a strong vise person but his uncle ‘Claudius” was a wicked man, having a lust for power. But Queen Gertrude was not ready to listen to a word against Claudius. She knew her husband was murdered but there was no way she is going to believe that Claudius was the culprit. She said these lines in favor of Claudius so that Hamlet may stop degrading Claudius' character in front of her. The line shows her childish character and how quickly she gets emotionally attached to people, as Claudius in this case. She is not a sharp person to analyze right and wrong and identifies deceptive persons. By analyzing this act and her entire personality, one can term women as being emotional beings. Claudius has created an illusion in front of her eyes and now she cannot see the reality, even if the reality is told by her own son, Hamlet. In this scene, she’s defending Claudius to the her best which clearly tells us that she is a sincere, loveable yet immature thinker.

Why do you enjoy this character? What about them do you find enjoyable? 

Throughout the play, Hamlet seems obsessed with his mother’s feminine life, which creates an interest for the audience throughout the play. Hamlet is so annoyed by the acts of their mother that he had created a bad impression about the rest of the women of the world, terming them as brainless emotional beings. None of the critics claims that Gertrude was in a relationship with Claudius before the death of Hamlet’s father, but still, the immediate diversion of her love towards Claudius fascinates the reader. Gertrude is not a firm honest person. Occasionally she ignores the consequences that may be bought by her actions and pays no heed to think the outcomes before the actions, lying to herself and others that everything will turn all right. But the positive part of hers is that she acts dishonestly to protect. The lies are not to deceive someone, but to maintain harmony among the people around her. She protects her son, Hamlet by lying that he was not a murderer, showing her sincerity and sense of love for her young man.

How does Shakespeare characterize this character? How does Shakespeare help you understand who the character is?

Few characters from Shakespeare’s plays had been portrayed as confusing as Gertrude. This character seems to leave many questions for the reader regarding her intentions. Some critics say that Shakespeare got the idea of plotting Gertrude’s personality from traditional rebellious wives, who had an affair with Claudius and were involved in the plan to murder The King. But others portray her as a simple and innocent person, who had wished to protect both Hamlet and Claudius and wanted them to seek out their problems with tranquility. Her intentions were pure as she saved Hamlet and knew the truth all in her mighty heart.  Queen Gertrude is defined by Shakespeare as a woman having the desire for love and affection and also to use men for the survival of her dignity and self-protection. She didn’t have the talent to analyze situations and react optimistically to them, as she took no time to run towards Claudius after her quarrel with her son, Hamlet. It’s visible throughout the play that her charm and natural attitude are her only unique qualifications.