hamlet - characters: gertrude

Gertrude

• - torn between husband and son
• a1 s2
• - she is shallow/fickle/weak
• - apathetic and blunt towards her son
• - dominated by the men in her life
• - turbulent contrasts to hamlet in terms of grieving
• - shows no remorse about her marriage
• - seeks status
• a3 s4
• - she is obedient
• - lack of trust in her son, thinks he will kill her
• - cannot see ghost out of disbelief/guilt/sadness/confusion

Gertrude

• a4 s1
• - takes liberties with truth, keeps hamlets secret about his madness but doesn't say that hamlet wants to kill C
• - mentions nothing of the ghost
• - she tries to stay loyal to husband while protecting her son
• a4 s5
• - she thinks every minor event will spark major disaster
• - gertrude reluctant to see ophelia as she knows what happened to her father
• a5 s2
• - drank from cup because: knew it was poisoned, protecting son, wanted to celebrate, defiant of C