Hamlet Essay

Dealing with decisions can be difficult. The aftereffect of affecting others negativity

weighs heavy on the mind. Thus when faced with decisions, careful pondering can be put into

the decision but others avoid it so there won’t be any aftereffect. Ignoring responsibility can lead

to disastrous consequences. Therefore in Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Gertrude faces a

conflicting force of her desire versus the responsibilities she has being Queen. Therefore her

conflicting desires of power and comfort versus her motherly instincts to protect Hamlet and

Denmark leading to the demise of the country.

Gertrude the Queen of Denmark wants to protect her husband’s legacy by preserving the

kingdom. Claudius manipulates the queen as well the kingdom with his speech,“Therefore our

sometime sister, now our queen, Th’imperial jointress to this warlike state... Our state to be

disjointed and out of frame” (pg 9). Claudius talks briefly about the previous relationship

Gertrude and he had but ends with the word of war. When Claudius employs the use of war to

the audience, he incites panic into the crowd and the incestrous marriage goes unnoticed.

Claudius mentions that joining royalty will stop the unrest. Gertrude trusting that Claudius being

Hamlet Senior’s brother will fulfill dead Hamlet’s wish marries him for political stability.

Although Gertrude married for political stability and comfort, her relationship with

Claudius conflicts with her status as Queen when she slept with the King leading to political

instability when Hamlet refuses to acknowledge Claudius as his new father. Gertrude calls
Hamlet in to question him and see if his insanity is feigned. Hamlet frustrated by his mother’s

lack of shame starts to name her dirty deeds, “In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, stew’d in

corruption, honeying and making love over the nasty sty!” (pg 95) Hamlet reminds his mother

about her dirty laundry that she is airing to the kingdom. Hamlet’s uncontrollable anger towards

his mother is justified through the incestrous relationship being a sin in the church. As rulers of a

country, Gertrude and Claudius are role models to the people. Their relationship to each other

makes the commoners ashamed of their country for promoting something against the Bible and

makes the common people lose respect for their rulers. Gertrude’s action signified to the country

that she was above God because she disobey the religious rule. Although she wanted to protect

her country her actions signify to the country that she was above everyone creating more

distance to her people.

Gertrude action’s and marriage leads the theme of book as guilt when she accepts the

false proclamation of love. After being woken up by Hamlet, Gertrude realizes her irresponsible

desire for comfort in court lead to being the laughingstock of the country. Claudius devises a

plan to kill Hamlet by letting Lartes dip his sharpen sword in poison and filling the chalice with

poison. Midway through the spar, Claudius offers Hamlet a sip of the drink for celebration but

the queen decides to drink it instead, “Gertrude, do not drink. I will my Lord, I pray you pardon

me.” (pg 150) Gertrude refusal to listen to Claudius signifies that she already knew the cup was

poisoned and decided to drink it to save Hamlet and so she could remove some of the guilt

because of her sins. The theme of guilt becomes a recurrence in Hamlet. Claudius feeling “guilt”

over Hamlet’s death and Hamlet feeling guilt over his mother’s irrational action and his father’s

death. Opehila feeling guilt for not protecting her father and Laertes feeling guilt over his
father’s death and Ophelia and killing Hamlet when Claudius incited him. Then Gertrude feels

guilt over her husband’s death and her actions. Hamlet is a tragedy filled with revenge but the

characters are haunted by Hamlet Senior and their past. Shakespeare claims that revenge leads to

the demise and the destruction of a character that can lead to a downward spiral.