Monday, November 24, 2008
Prompt to respond to before Wed. Nov. 26
After reading Carolyn Heilbrun's essay on Gertrude and considering the points she 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, although with a weakness for kings? 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 whenever possible reference particular passages from the play to support your ideas.
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25 comments:
I'm all for analyzing characters and finding their real purpose in a story. I really liked this article and I'm glad someone gave the attention Gertrude demands.
Did anyone else feel like Heilburn was a little snobbish with her analysis? Like she was the only one who 'found Gertrude' so hers is the best analysis? Maybe I was just tired when I read it. I don't find her incredibly book-smart, but she does show a depth of knowledge in the matters of human actions.
I think she's intelligent and she knows her place. She understands how to use language, but knows that women who speak too much are often silenced. Heilburn points out several instances, mainly when referring to Hamlet, that Gertrude is concise. Her "More matter less art" quote is an exact sizing-up of Polonius, something Claudius didn't do.
I'm not sure she has a weakness for kings, but maybe an all-too-human weakness. We're lustful creatures. I don't think she married him solely for the purpose of..that.. but because he was so 'seducing' she couldn't help herself. This might be too outside the story, but if I was in her position, I would've re-married for Hamlet's sake. Hamlet seems moody, bi-polar, and generally a teenager. If the area is teeming with conflict, it wouldn't be smart to put someone in power who makes rash decisions. By marrying Claudius, Hamlet still has the possibility to rule, and his warrior style will keep fights at bay.
If you see her marriage as a sacrifice to allow her son to rule, Gertrude is smart, kind, and selfless.
Gertrude may not be the most intelligent or powerful queen, but she is definitely not a "helpless sheep in the sun." As Hamlet dwells over his father's death, Gertrude tells him to "cast thy nighted color off...Thou knows'st 'tis common; all that lives must die, passing through a nature of eternity." She asks Hamlet to give away his passion for grief and begin to live again. I think that she wants Hamlet to succeed, but he cannot rule if he gives up hope. Gertrude tries to inspire him so he can gain confidence and regain his father's title as king.
It is also interesting how she uses men as "shields" if she is unsure about a situation. When Hamlet confronts her, she immediately runs to Claudius for advice. On her behalf, this is a weak characteristic, but acting as though she is powerless makes her seem as less of a threat.
Natalie, I have to say I disagree with you when you that Gertrude might have gotten remarried for Hamlet's sake because if Gertrude had not married Claudius, Hamlet would've been king without the wait. He was already old enough to be king and he was next in line. She didn't really need to help Hamlet secure the throne.
Also, I mostly agree with what this article says about Gertrude's character. The statement that Gertrude was a very sensible woman to tell Hamlet not to grieve for his father's death ("cast thy nighted color off...Thou knows'st 'tis common; all that lives must die, passing through a nature of eternity.") makes sense. But at the same time you still have to wonder why Gertrude cried more than anyone else at her husband's funeral. Why did she not follow her own advice?
I believe Getrude is intelligent and verbally gifted, because it takes some real cunning to condense the work of paragraphs into no more than 10 or so words. This is shown particularly well in the lines that the play brought up; “thou wilt not murder me?” (III.iv.21), “More matter with less art,” (II.ii.95) “The lady doth protest too much, methinks” (III.ii.240). However, if there was ever any doubt that Gertrude was cunning and intelligent, it's her guess as to the true nature of Hamlet's madness; “I doubt it is no other than the main, / His father's death and our o'er-hasty marriage”(II.ii.56-57), that really seals the deal. The line proves she's capable of reasoning things out.
Alas, I've noticed something paradoxical about Getrude. Despite being responsible for creating the plot to the play, for being something so integral to the heart of the play, she rarely gets any lines, and when she does, they're as short as possible. The author even acknowledges this when she muses, “The scene gives her four more words,” (3) regarding Getrude's second speaking part in a scene. It's mind-boggling why Shakespeare would have the second most important character in the play be as terse as possible. Perhaps it's because if she were allowed many and full lines, then she'd outshadow Hamlet completely. And then we'd have to call it, “Getrude.”
Gertrude is cunning. She feels very much like a politician throughout all of this. Although we hear about her characteristics from others we never actually see her express her own emotions at least not very much. More matter less art is an apt definition of her character. I find this a little odd for any monarch, even more so for a queen, but that is how she acts. Her re-marriage puts her in superior position politically, she essentially knows that she will have power forever by being Claudius' queen. Then, by aligning herself with Claudius in the conflict she probably thinks that either Hamlet or Claudius must die so either she retains the throne cleanly or she dies with it. Now, since Hamlet and Claudius both die she would have another politically beneficial position.
I may be very cynical of her motives behind everything but I think it is pointless to try and look at her through any human emotion, even seduction or lust. She seems to me to not show emotions so it is unlikely they control her actions. She is very much like Barack Obama in that manner and there is the possibility that she is a good queen.
I think that Gertrude has discovered, to quote Ms. Minor, that "power is the greatest aphrodisiac." I'm most likely far too cynical but I just see Gertrude as politician who hardly has any emotions at all.
I would have to disagree with Harish when he says that Gertrude seems to lack any emotions, therefore disconnecting any relations between her emotions and actions. I can see that Gertrude's natural maternal instincts partially account for her behavior, especially when Claudius "spies" on Hamlet. To me it seems like she's doing so to look out for her son. She seems oblivious to Claudius' evil intentions, and is naive to that extent. Her eager attentiveness to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's reports on Hamlet do show an extensively exaggerated worry that only mothers can possess.
I don’t think Gertrude is intelligent. She never really shows any true thoughts and is always sticking with the common choice. We know that Gertrude heavily relies on men, and that’s when her gracefulness and her charm come in handy. I agree with Harish that Gertrude never actually expresses any emotions. The only time someone may see her emotions is when she is with men. Connor, I think the reason Shakespeare didn’t give more lines to Gertrude is because she would be overpowering Hamlet. I feel like Gertrude is like a rock and has no emotions, but would be very powerful and domineering if given the chance.
I think a big part of Gertrude's character relates to the ongoing struggle of parents to understand their maturing children. Perhaps this is merely the lamentations of an angsty teen, but indulge me nonetheless.
Maybe I'm just an optimist, but I believe Gertrude acted in what she thought was the best interest of her son. After a traumatic event such as the murder of his father, in her opinion Hamlet needed to move on. By marrying Cladius Gertrude thought she could hold her family together through a crisis. Also, like Natalie said, I'm not sure Hamlet was the best candidate for the throne himself.
Also, I think Gertrude's response to her husband's death is indicative of "love" in the time Hamlet is set. Oftentimes royal marriages were decided based on setting up a strong ruling family. Marriage was based on practicality, not love. So I don't think she can be blamed for not crying over King Hamlet's body for too long. And what's not to love about Cladius? Obviously she moved on faster than her son, shown when she tells Hamlet "cast thy nighted color off...Thou knows'st 'tis common; all that lives must die, passing through a nature of eternity (stolen from Nupur). Her family has a country to run, and they certainly can't be wasting time over King Hamlet's death.
I think Gertrude is a benevolent character. Her main (and tragic) flaw is that she is overly practical. Before and during the play, she acts only with Hamlet and Denmark's best interests in mind.
My first impression of Gertrude stereotyped her as the gullible pretty girl that is blissfully unaware of her actions. She is much more complex however, and she is able to articulate her awareness that her "o'erhasty marriage" brought upon Hamlets distress. As for an overview of the article, I felt like it just summarized what I already knew.
I agree with you Natalie that Gertrude doesn't have a weakness for kings but for a different reason. Gertrude was already married to one when she had her affair with Claudius. She is weak in her ability to refuse temptation but I dont think it has any association with a "weakness of kings."
Nuper, I think she followed her own advise all too well. She got all of her grieving out of the way at once and was able to move on in a heartbeat.
Harish, I think that marrying Claudius puts Gertrude at more of a disadvantage if shes seeking political power. If she was, it would make more sense to me that she would wait until Hamlet was king and then try to manipulate him instead of remaining Claudius' puppet.
Gertrude is a relatively complex character. She is definitely smart and verbally. One thing that I first noticed about her is that she is very discerning. Unlike Claudius and Polonius, Gertrude knew that Hamlet’s death and the "o'er-hasty marriage" were causing her son’s sudden madness. Also, in Act 4,Scene 1, she shows wisdom by not telling Claudius the full story on Hamlet’s madness. In the closet scene, as she is confronted by Hamlet, her level-headed nature is brought out and we see a character who thinks before she speaks. She has great control over her words, using her concise speech as a tool. She does not need to say much to get her point across.
I do not think she is shallow at all. In her speeches, as Heilbrun noted, she shows her loving and warm nature. She is very concerned about Hamlet and we know without a doubt that she loves Hamlet. She also watches over Ophelia and to some degree treats her as her own daughter.
An important thing to note is that she is aware of her weakness, but tries to avoid the subject. As Hamlet is speaking to her in Act 3, Scene 4, she admits "Thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul and there I see such black and grained spots as will not leave their tinct," showing her shame and remorse for her actions. But she asks Hamlet to stop speaking about it, possibly because she does not want to admit that she has a problem. She is not shallow; she has a conscience and admits to her sin.
I think that Gertrude felt stuck and didn't know where to go after she made the mistake of marrying Claudius. Like the article points out, her lust was her weakness and is to blame for this quick marriage. I really don't understand why she marries Claudius, but she might have done so solely on her emotions, as Hamlet had accused.
Although Gertrude seems to posses some emotion, I agree with Harish that she is driven by ulterior motives and is somewhat like a politician. In A3 S4 there is an exchange between Gertrude and Hamlet. Hamlet professes his discontent with his mothers actions. She says things like "O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain," (L158) and "O Hamlet, speak no more! Thou turn'st mine eyes into my very soul, And there I see such black and grainèd spots As will not leave their tinct." (L90) This may seem like emotion, but after a short period of time, we see her continue to live the same lustful life she had before. There is a lack of change that discredits her words however "pithy" they may be.
So, coming back to the article, I agree that Gertrude has a talent for concise speech, but I do not believe that her speech is pithy. Like Connor said, it's very remarkable to condense paragraphs of words into sentences. However, I am just questioning whether these lines portray any emotion or hold any merit in the play...
Although gertrude is one of the more minor characters, I'm glad Heilburn did this analysis. It seems that the central question iswhether or not gertrude was acting in hamlet's best interest when she married Claudius. Though it is possible she did this to protect hamlet, it is suspiciously convenient that this act put her in a position if power.
Going back to what Nupur said, I think that by marrying Claudius, she protected hamlet by accident or not. What would stop Claudius from killing hamlet like he did his father if he stood in the way?
As for whether or not gertrude protected hamlet on purpose, wanted power, or is just a slut, it is impossible to tell. I am inclined to believe one of the latter two because there doesn't seem to be a lot love between them, and because hamlet is usually right in his instincts. This also makes her death easy to accept.
Although my first opinion of Gertrude was that she was ditsy, a little disenfranchized with the situation, and shallow in her love. But I also understand her cunning, as Harish had mentioned.
Then, Queen was the highest rank for any woman, and the only way for Gertrude to not relinquish her power to Hamlet, was to remarry immediately. Albeit callous, showing just how fleeting her love was, it was a coldly rational move.
Natalie... I agree with you and I think Heilburn was a little snobbish too. She starts off by saying "none of the other critics of course has failed to see Gertrude as vital to the action of the play..." She's like, HA! I noticed it first.
Anyways...I'm agreeing with Sandeep and whoever else said she wasn't very intelligent. On the 2nd page, she says in the fourth paragraph "We first hear her asking Hamlet to stop...death is an inevitable part of life." I'm not sure if she's not intelligence or if she's just plain stupid. I mean it's amazing how she wife/mother stops grieving for her husband and tells her son to stop as well. It's just amazing how quickly she got over it. And if anything, even though she got over it quickly, it doesn't mean Hamlet will. She should have let him grieve and do whatever he needed too. Not worry about him and tell him to stop; maybe this was even something before the Ghost and everything that made Hamlet go crazy. I mean how would you feel if your mom said to stop grieving? I think she's unintelligent and just plain heartless.
And I guess in a sense, that relates to the comment of being emotional/emotionless. I would think that one would need to be lacking emotion in order to marry a husband's brother, right after her husband's death, grieve quickly, and strip her son of the throne. But who knows?
Mostly, I agree with what the analysis says about Gertrude's character. But I do have to agree with Natalie in that Heilburn is a bit snobbish in the analysis. Like Michelle said, it was almost like a HA! moment. I also agree with Nupur. Because Hamlet was next in line for king, he didn't need her help to become king.
I think that Gertrude is an intelligent character, but she does not seem to have a weakness for kings. I believe that she is a cunning character, able to get what she wants and manipulate others to achieve her own goals.
Natalie, I did notice the snobbish tone of the analysis. I wonder if she is trying to speak in the tone of what she imagines Gertrude to speak in? But however intelligent Gertrude is, her personality is shallow, and possibly power-seeking. As Granville-Barker says in the article, "she is drawn for us with unemphatic strokes, and she has but a passive part in the play's action." In my opinion, this is a fair assessment of Gertrude, as she seems to be coldhearted. Shakespeare states, "I doubt it is no other than the main, His father's death and our o'er hasty marriage" (Act. 2, Sc. 2, 56-57).
Harish's analogy of a politician is right on the money. Gertrude acts in her own interests, while still seeming to conceal something else. I'm not sure what it is, but I have the feeling that there is something there.
Wow, this Carolyn Heilburn lady pretty much shot down all the other Gertrude critics out there.
I think it's interesting how different people can examine and view particular characters in so many different ways.
Anyway, I believe that Gertrude does show plenty emotion, just in different ways. She truly does love Hamlet just as any mother naturally loves her son.
I don't think she really knows exactly WHY she has offended/angered Hamlet so much. In act 3, s4, L10, Gertrude tells Hamlet "that thous hast thy father much offended."
Hamlet responds by informing her that "[she] has thy father much offended." She is somewhat unaware of what she has done wrong. Of course her own heart probably tells her she married too quickly, but I think she is perplexed as to why Hamlet is so bitter towards her. It's not until later in act 3 during his long speech (L54-79) that she becomes totally aware of Hamlet's source of bitterness. After he questions the validity of the love between her and Claudius, she says:
"O, Hamlet, speak no more / Though turnst thy eyes into my very soul / And there I see such black and grained spots / As will not leave their tinct." (L80-83)
Hamlet's harsh words--incredibly angry, almost hateful--pain Gertrude. However shallow she may be, Hamlet's verbal assault hurts her so much that his words "enter he ears like daggers." This hurts especially because it is coming from a loved one.
It's hard to tell if she is being honest with Hamlet or not. After all, there are so many lies within the play it's hard to tell who's being truthful; but Gertrude is definitely not as crafty as Claudius is, so I think she is sincerely flummoxed and emotionally hurt.
Gertrude is also extremely loyal to Claudius. Even though this action taken by her may be wrong and clearly immoral in many people's eyes, this loyalty demonstrates her potential for great love--towards Hamlet, and more importantly Ghost Hamlet, the murderous death Shakespeare has centered the play's plot around.
Michelle, I don't agree with you that Gertrude is plain stupid. When she can't empathize with Hamlet's grief, its not a lack of intelligence, but that shes just too apathetic.
I think Gertrude is just too rational, and this has stripped her of some of her ability to relate to people. She is shrewd and driven to her objectives, and disregards feelings. Its not stupidity, just a seemingly impassive utilitarian outlook.
After reading the article, it triggered some thoughts in me. The queen seems to sit aside at times but is actually trying to protect everyone dearest to her. She is like the neutral character in the play that tries to keep everything together and trying to prevent the tragedy from happening. Almost every character in the play takes a side (Hamlet or Claudius), even the honest, friendly Horatio sides with Hamlet, but Gertrude sides with no one. She stands between Claudius and Laertes when Laertes tries to kill the king, and later she sacrifices herself for Hamlet although she knew very well that Hamlet wants to kill her.
The concept of “seems” struck me while I was reading this. Gertrude does not seem to carry a mask in this play. She is truthful to herself and to others, she might appear shallow sometimes but she doesn’t try to hide her “lustful” character. Hamlet often confronts others of their dishonesty but I don’t think he ever mentioned any dishonesty in Gertrude (even though he criticizes her with the most hateful words).
Natalie, thanks for giving an explanation on why Gertrude chose to marry Claudius. I felt that there must be more to the marriage than just simple lust but I just couldn’t think of a reason.
There is also another thing that really puzzles me is why the Ghost chose not to “shock her with knowledge of his murder”? Heilbrun explained it's because “Gertrude is always hoping for the best.” But does that mean that the Ghost isn’t hoping for the best? If he tells Gertrude instead of Hamlet he would not be revenged?
Gertrude is intelligent enough to put pieces of information together and know what must be done. She doesn't try to forget the idea that Hamlet and Claudius would kill each other for the throne; she acts on the idea to try and keep peace between her son and the king. She knows who Hamlet trusts and tries to have them find out what is wrong with him. She realizes that she had married too quickly.
Given that a Queen couldn't rule alone in ancient monarch times that Hamlet lives in, marring Claudius probably was equally politic as it was social. Who wouldn't want to be the King of Denmark, the center of everything? How many other princes and kings would push, shove, and kill to be Gertrude's husband? Claudius is a safe bet, someone she already trusts and knows well, and someone who would let Hamlet be king someday. Not to mention the whole of his ‘seduction’ he has on her.
Also, seeing how Hamlet takes forever to act on his own father's murder, is moody, indecisive, and a little bit nutts outside his own acting, I wouldn't let him be king, especially in times of probable war.
Gertrude is perhaps one of the most controversial characters in Hamlet, and is shrouded in mystery. One of the most important aspects of her is that she is indeed very shallow and weak, and especially morally weak. She relies on the men in her life as a crutch, and is very weak without them. She seems to not be her own character, but is instead relient on others. She avoids difficult situations and is dependant on others, but still seems to generate lots of play action surrounding her.
I think that Gertrude seems selfish and lacks self control. You can tell that she wants the best for Hamlet, but she doesn't care enough to make wise decisions in his favor.
I agree with Michelle Gonzalez that "she is aware of her weakness, but tries to avoid the subject." Obviously she expresses emotion, but I think that is natural because she has a lot she should feel guilty about. But it doesn't seem like she feels guilt in the way that shows that she takes others' feelings and fates into consideration... I also saw what Ryan mentioned, that she is dependent on other characters. She is needy and seems desperate. She keeps digging a bigger hole for herself and everyone else by making bad decisions (put Hamlet in danger by marrying Claudius). In A1 S2 L146, Hamlet says
"Must I remember?
Why she would hang on him
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on."
I love how he put this. It's so much more illustrative than "clingy". That is how I see Gertrude.
Watching the clip of the movie exacerbated my negative view of her.
I should have posted this 24 hours ago. No excuses.
I think along the course of the play Gertrude comes to regret her decision to marry Claudius "o'erhast[il]y".
In Act I, she's like "All that lives must die" and acts a little ignorant concerning the pain her son may be suffering as a result of her lustful restraintlessness.
In Act II, some time has passed and she notices Hamlet becoming a "too much changed son" and "beseech[es] [Guilderstern and Rosencrantz(the mercenaries)] instantly to visit" Hamlet, to fix him, in a sense. Later in that conversation with Polonius she says, as if in a sigh, it's probably "no other but the main, His father's death and our o'erhasty marriage." So she does recognize the potential for Hamlet's suffering as a result of her action, but then she quickly turns to Polonius' plan for a way of escaping her now encroaching guilt.
Act III: To Ophelia concerning Polonius plan: "So shall I hope your virtues Will bring him to his wonted way again, To both your honours." She's getting desperate in searching for an outside problem to take the place of her own sin as the source of Hamlet's insanity.
And then Hamlet gives her a choice just as he gave Guilderstein, Rosencrantz and Ophelia "Confess yourself to heaven; Repent what’s past; avoid what is to come; And do not spread the compost on the weeds, To make them ranker." to which Gertrude replies "thou hast cleft my heart in twain." Hamlet counters "throw away the worser part of it"
Hamlet is referring to her desire to be with Claudius. It is her folly and perhaps she's beginning to realize the error of her ways, but by the time Hamlet is fighting Laertes it was too late cuz everyone kills one another. Except Gertrude... she's murdered unintentionally... hmmmmm
Then I read the article: I thought Heilbrun made some very important points.
1 - Gertrude did not know Claudius killed King Hamlet.
2 - Gertrude is a 'tells it as it is' kind of person. In my opinion, an anti 'seems' character. Visible in her admittance of the lustful sin. "A talent for seeing the essence of every situation presented before her eyes".
3 - "Gertrude's flaw of lust made Claudius' ambition possible".
4 - Gertrude is not simply a "weak and vacillating woman".
5 - Separating the Elizabethan definition of "adultery" from the modern definition for a better explanation of the ghost's statements concerning Gertrude.
Heilbrun explains some of the aspects of Hamlet which, in order to be properly analyzed and concluded upon, require a dozen or more readings of play. For that I thank her.
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