Has history been unfair to Gertrude? Discuss with reference to critical interpretations you have read as well as stage and video performances you have seen - Make close reference to the text.
Has history been unfair to Gertrude? Discuss with reference to critical interpretations you have read as well as stage and video performances you have seen. Make close reference to the text. The question, "Has history been unfair to Gertrude," in Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' is a complex one. Numerous critics and directors have put forward many different interpretations, meaning that some must be unfair, or all would be correct. Althought minor, the character of Gertrude is essential to the plot. The reason for many of the events happening in the play can all be traced back to her actions. The kings death may have been due to Claudius' love for her. He admits his love and devotion by saying that she is: "My virtue and my plague." And confirms she is at least part of the reason for the murder: "those effects for which I did the murther/ My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen." All Hamlets actions are due to her, as he wants to acenge his father and her 'betrayal' of him. Although she is such an important character, she is not a dominant one. She appears in only 10 scenes. Gertrude never tells anyone to do anything and relies heavily on the other characters. She seldom appears without Claudius, unless he instructs her to do so, as in the closet scene. Ironically as Rebecca Smith appreciates: "She is easily led and she makes no decisions for herself, except, ironically,
Frailty, thy name is woman(TM)(TM) A.C Bradley has judged Gertrude to be a weak and unfaithful wife(TM)(TM) How far do you agree with this perception of her?
''Frailty, thy name is woman'' A.C Bradley has judged Gertrude to be a ''weak and unfaithful wife'' How far do you agree with this perception of her? Shakespeare's Gertrude has been perceived in various ways throughout the centuries due to changes in society and the changing view of women's status. A range of critics have interpreted the character of Gertrude in their own way, A.C Bradley believes her to be a ''dull and very shallow''1 woman who is content to please others. However this view that A.C Bradley has generated may be due to the Victorian patriarchal society he lived in. Women were seen as subservient to men and the general expectations of women were to live in the domestic sphere. Furthermore A.C Bradley's view on Gertrude may have been influenced by the Victorian queen who mourned the death of her husband till her own death, which contrasts with Gertrude who has an ''o'er-hasty'' marriage after King Hamlet's death. In contrast to A.C Bradley, Rebecca Smith a modern critic has a more positive perspective of Gertrude. Having lived through a feminist period, Smith argues against the traditional presentation of Gertrude and believes her to be ''a soft, obedient, dependent, unimaginative woman''2 who has divided loyalties to Claudius and Hamlet. Another critic Lisa Jardine is sympathetic towards Gertrude and comments on how she is a key character despite having very
The Withered Arm - Trace the developing relationship between Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge. How does Thomas Hardy use the supernatural to engage the readers' interest, build up tension and keep the story going?
Coursework The Withered Arm By Thomas Hardy Trace the developing relationship between Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge. How does Thomas Hardy use the supernatural to engage the readers' interest, build up tension and keep the story going? 'The Withered Arm' is set in 1888 in a place called Wessex - now known as Devon. It is set in a typically English rural location, mainly farms and small cottages for farm workers. There are two main characters; Rhoda Brook - a milkmaid and Gertrude Lodge - newly married to local landlord Farmer Lodge. Back then everybody knew each other and so knew everybody's business. Men are more respected and did all of the work whilst the women stayed at home and did the house work. If women were single they lived with their parents or on their own in a cottage. If the had a child whilst out of wedlock then they were frowned upon by society and were very much disrespected by everybody else. When we are first told about Rhoda Brook she is portrayed as a woman in her early thirties who hasn't aged to well. She is a milkmaid working on a farm for most hours of the day not having much time to rest. She has a twelve-year-old son although she isn't married and we don't find out the identity of the father until the end of the story. Rhoda lives in a small cottage, built out of mud blocks, on the side of a hill. Gertrude Lodge is introduced as a young and
Hamlet - One student said she sympathised most with Gertrude and Ophelia because they were women caught up in a man's world of politics, intrigue and violence. How far do you agree with her opinion?
Hamlet One student said she sympathised most with Gertrude and Ophelia because they were women caught up in a man's world of politics, intrigue and violence. How far do you agree with her opinion? The play 'Hamlet' written by William Shakespeare begins by establishing a mood of anxiety and dread. Broken rhythms generate an atmosphere of unease, apprehension and confusion. When the ghost of the old King Hamlet emerges we cannot tell whether it is good, bad or both. At one moment it appears to be 'majestical', "We did it wrong, being so majestical." And at another 'like a guilty thing', "And then it started like a guilty thing". All this uncertainty and anxiousness prepares us for Hamlets melancholy in the next scene. This whole play is based on violence, politics and intrigue and this is becomes apparent at the beginning of the play where Bernado and Fracisco are on guard. They appear nervous and worried because of the threat of invasion by Norway and also the recent death of the late King Hamlet. This first scene gives the audience an insight on the political situation that Denmark is in. The intrigue within the play begins when Fortinbras is given the opportunity to speak about the political situation of Denmark and the story of what happened between his father and Hamlets father. The guards also talk about the unheralded naval build-up commanded by the present
'Are Gertrude and Ophelia merely pawns in the world of Hamlet? Explore the plays representation of femininity, paying close attention to the role and function of each of these two characters in the play'.
Hamlet 'Are Gertrude and Ophelia merely pawns in the world of Hamlet? Explore the plays representation of femininity, paying close attention to the role and function of each of these two characters in the play'. William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' can be seen as a chess game bought to life. The play depicts the events in a 16th century Danish royal family that unfold after a suspicious murder of the king. The plays two female characters Gertrude and Ophelia can be likened to pawns in this intricate web of lies and deceit, as their words and actions are dictated by the males of the play. This can be directly linked to the broader cultural understandings of gender roles in 16th century England, as women were portrayed as passive, weak and submissive to the males power strength aggression and action . As all texts position readers to interpret different characters in different ways, this text to can be read as empowering the females, by appearing to be submissive, in order to manipulate the men. However, as essentially Gertrude acts as a vehicle for Hamlets emotions, and Ophelia is primarily shaped to conform to external demands to reflect the male characters desires, the role of the women in Hamlet is primarily that of a manipulated pawn in a chess game that not even the kings can win. The play 'Hamlet' begins with the funeral of the former king of
With reference to key lines and speeches in the play, discuss interpretations of the character of Gertrude, and the different ways she could be perceived by an audience, then justify your own reading of the character.
With reference to key lines and speeches in the play, discuss interpretations of the character of Gertrude, and the different ways she could be perceived by an audience, then justify your own reading of the character. The character of Gertrude in Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' is a very complex one, and as a character has many interpretations. The most common of these being that of a very sexual being, thinking only about her body, and physical, bodily pleasures. It is her sexual appetite that initially turns Hamlet against her so violently. Her marriage to Claudius a mere few months after the death of Hamlet's father is sudden and shocking, to both Hamlet and the audience. This marriage has soured the relationship between mother and son, and Hamlet is disgusted with Gertrude, "Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears, Had left the flushing her galled eyes, She married. O most wicked speed, to post, With such dexterity to incestuous sheets" The shock of her marriage to Claudius in such a short time after King Hamlet's death gives the impression that the pair were partaking in an illicit relationship while the King was still alive. The theory is emphasised when the Ghost relays to Hamlet more disturbing information about his mother, "Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast". The use of the word 'adulterate' can be read to assume that Gertrude was Claudius' lover before
To what extent do you see the women in the play as victims in a man's world? How might the response of a modern audience to Gertrude and Ophellia differ from that of Shakespeare's time?
Hamlet Coursework To what extent do you see the women in the play as victims in a man's world? How might the response of a modern audience to Gertrude and Ophellia differ from that of Shakespeare's time? Hamlet is a story of revenge, betrayal and confused love, set in the Elizabethan period. Shakespeare often interpreted everyday life into his plays; therefore each one would reflect the society of that time. For many years in the past, women played a small role socially, economically and politically. As a result of this, many works of literature were reflective of this diminutive role of women. They were not thought of as equal to men. They had hardly any rights and were expected to obey men1. The women were simply seen to bear children and also to take care of them. They had no political voice and were very rarely educated. They were often regarded as a possession, the men in the family always firmly in control of their future. However, in contrast to this trend, in Hamlet the women in the play are driving factors for the actions of many other characters. Although it was very much a society dominated by man, women's influence was obvious in many aspects of life. Both Gertrude and Ophelia affected many of the decisions and actions done by Hamlet throughout the play. Hamlet is based in Elsinore. Elsinore, also, does not seem to be a place where women matter
Shakespeare is unable to present women other than as passive victims or deceivers of men With reference to the characters of Ophelia and Gertrude explore to what extent you agree with this statement.
'Shakespeare is unable to present women other than as passive victims or deceivers of men" With reference to the characters of Ophelia and Gertrude explore to what extent you agree with this statement. It could be argued that Shakespeare constructs both Ophelia and Gertrude as weak, powerless and vulnerable in contrast to the powerful men around them. At the same time however, he is also reflecting women's social position at the time through these characters, so his view is something that would be traditional for the audience. In the actual play, their roles are minor compared to those of Hamlet, Claudius or Polonius. Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses Hamlet to undermine their position in society. For example, he says 'Frailty thy name is woman' 1, thus equating womankind with the attribute of frailty. Both Gertrude and Ophelia are overshadowed by the male characters, with no voice of their own, as Shakespeare uses them to recreate the position of women in Elizabethan times, which was basically that of a 'maid, wife, or widow, with whores alone outside of the stereotype.'2 Hamlet not only treats both his mother and Ophelia as inferior human beings, but also introduces another stereotype of 'whore' when talking about his mother, making him a complete misogynist. Women in Elizabethan times were seen as inferior in comparison to men and this is shown in 'Hamlet' through
Compare different possible readings of the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia. What impact would different interpretations have on the play as a whole? You might like in particular to consider what difference would be made to a production of the play if t
Compare different possible readings of the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia. What impact would different interpretations have on the play as a whole? You might like in particular to consider what difference would be made to a production of the play if the female characters were presented as strong in themselves, or as weak and in the control of others. What would be your preferred reading? Why? It is inarguable that the two females with most influence throughout 'Hamlet' are Ophelia and Gertrude, they are, after all, the only females! Their position as the only two women in the play immediately marks them out as non-typical characters; 'Hamlet' is a play centred around a struggle for the throne of Denmark, and the fact that the strength and influence of these characters is a matter of some debate adds to the complexities that make 'Hamlet' the play that it is. Two fairly major characters within the play posses a seemingly small influence upon the eventual outcome. The characters have, at first glance, little effect upon the major events of the play, and it is only through their interaction with the male cast that they have any real influence. This is what makes the question of the strength of their character such a pivotal one; it is very easy to portray them as weak, and under the influence of their male peers, but if they are perceived as strong characters, it may become
Look back Act III, Scene 3. This scene has been seen by some critics as crucial to their reading of the play. Using a close examination of this scene as you starting point, discuss the nature of the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude, its dramatic p
Look back Act III, Scene 3. This scene has been seen by some critics as crucial to their reading of the play. Using a close examination of this scene as you starting point, discuss the nature of the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude, its dramatic presentation and its significance in the play as a whole. Act III, Scene 3 has a very dramatic setting, because it is the only time that Gertrude and Hamlet talk together alone. Also it is the first time Hamlet exposing his opinion on Gertrude's marriage to other person. This scene is very similar to the nunnery scene- Gertrude tries to lead Hamlet to tell her something and Polonius hides and eavesdrops on their conversation to report the King. This setting is very significant, because the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude is defined with details, even if their relationship is still questionable and unsure. Shakespeare structures Act III Scene 4 as the turning point. Especially Shakespeare's use of dramatic features such as death of Polonius and appearance of ghost are significant. At the same time, the relationship between Gertrude and Hamlet change with the turning point. The relationship between Gertrude and Hamlet is full of confusion. It is very crucial because he confides her which means he either trusts her or uses her as a tool. She also sees him as the murderer of Polonius, whether it was an accident or not.
