*All quotations used in this essay are accredited to Shakespeare, W. (2003). Hamlet (D.
Bevington, Ed.). Pearson Longman. (Original work published 1603)
Explore the presentation of Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. You must relate
your discussion to relevant contextual factors and ideas from your critical
reading.
In Shakespeare’s Elizabethan tragedy, the character of Gertrude occupies a complex
and conflicting role. Not only is Gertrude seen to be corrupt – through both her sexuality
as a female, and her relationship with the illegitimate King – but is depicted mostly
through the narrative viewpoints of the surrounding male characters, making a definitive
conclusion on her character near impossible. Shakespeare’s illustration of Gertrude, as
a character, is doubtlessly rooted in the misogyny of Renaissance England, despite the
strength of their female monarch, Elizabeth I, in the face of a changing religious
landscape and foreign military threats.
One way which Shakespeare uses the character of Gertrude is through linking her
sexuality and relationships to the rife corruption of the Danish court. Rogers has
observed that ‘the ideal female is cherished for her youth, beauty and purity’ and the
antithesis can certainly be seen when analysing Hamlet’s condemnation of Gertrude’s
new marriage in Act 1 Scene 2. In his opening soliloquy, Hamlet criticises Gertrude’s
‘dexterity to such incestuous sheets’ implying both that her relationship, and the speed
and ease with which she entered it, is inherently sullied and corrupt. It is important to
note that Hamlet is portrayed as particularly distraught during this scene, as the rest of
the characters are celebrating a wedding – a new beginning – he is intentionally
costumed in all black, and his disdain of his mother is most likely couched in the
mourning for his father. Shakespeare furthers this idea as Hamlet exclaims ‘Frailty, thy
name is woman!’, which can be interpreted as a criticism of the speed and desperation
with which Gertrude has sought to satisfy her base desires, but also a wider comment
on women more generally, implying a weakness or inferiority within the gender,
evidencing Rogers’ comment. In fact, female sexuality was largely criticised in
Shakespearean England, while relations outside of marriage were outlawed by the
church entirely and male infidelity was commonplace; in contrast, female infidelity could
lead to death, which may explain why Gertrude is penalised much more harshly for the
new relationship and seen as almost sinful, and why, as Muir claims, she is recognized
to be a ‘moral defective’. Gertrude's sexuality, as a manifestation of her deceitful
tarnished nature, can be seen in Act 3 Scene 4, where Hamlet warns, ‘do not spread
compost on the weeds to make them ranker’, cautioning Gertrude that her own being is
not only tainted, but tainting, and she herself, can be used to breed this immorality in
others. The notion of Gertrude’s moral debasement can most prominently be seen
through the metaphor, in which Hamlet questions, ‘but to live/in the rank sweat of an
Bevington, Ed.). Pearson Longman. (Original work published 1603)
Explore the presentation of Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. You must relate
your discussion to relevant contextual factors and ideas from your critical
reading.
In Shakespeare’s Elizabethan tragedy, the character of Gertrude occupies a complex
and conflicting role. Not only is Gertrude seen to be corrupt – through both her sexuality
as a female, and her relationship with the illegitimate King – but is depicted mostly
through the narrative viewpoints of the surrounding male characters, making a definitive
conclusion on her character near impossible. Shakespeare’s illustration of Gertrude, as
a character, is doubtlessly rooted in the misogyny of Renaissance England, despite the
strength of their female monarch, Elizabeth I, in the face of a changing religious
landscape and foreign military threats.
One way which Shakespeare uses the character of Gertrude is through linking her
sexuality and relationships to the rife corruption of the Danish court. Rogers has
observed that ‘the ideal female is cherished for her youth, beauty and purity’ and the
antithesis can certainly be seen when analysing Hamlet’s condemnation of Gertrude’s
new marriage in Act 1 Scene 2. In his opening soliloquy, Hamlet criticises Gertrude’s
‘dexterity to such incestuous sheets’ implying both that her relationship, and the speed
and ease with which she entered it, is inherently sullied and corrupt. It is important to
note that Hamlet is portrayed as particularly distraught during this scene, as the rest of
the characters are celebrating a wedding – a new beginning – he is intentionally
costumed in all black, and his disdain of his mother is most likely couched in the
mourning for his father. Shakespeare furthers this idea as Hamlet exclaims ‘Frailty, thy
name is woman!’, which can be interpreted as a criticism of the speed and desperation
with which Gertrude has sought to satisfy her base desires, but also a wider comment
on women more generally, implying a weakness or inferiority within the gender,
evidencing Rogers’ comment. In fact, female sexuality was largely criticised in
Shakespearean England, while relations outside of marriage were outlawed by the
church entirely and male infidelity was commonplace; in contrast, female infidelity could
lead to death, which may explain why Gertrude is penalised much more harshly for the
new relationship and seen as almost sinful, and why, as Muir claims, she is recognized
to be a ‘moral defective’. Gertrude's sexuality, as a manifestation of her deceitful
tarnished nature, can be seen in Act 3 Scene 4, where Hamlet warns, ‘do not spread
compost on the weeds to make them ranker’, cautioning Gertrude that her own being is
not only tainted, but tainting, and she herself, can be used to breed this immorality in
others. The notion of Gertrude’s moral debasement can most prominently be seen
through the metaphor, in which Hamlet questions, ‘but to live/in the rank sweat of an
