Part 30: A Tale of Four Gertrudes (Interlude/Prelude)
Whether Ophelia and Hamlet influence Gertrude or not can only be determined by scrutinizing what really happens with Gertrude.
A brief summary of just four of many possibilities (I prefer # 4):
1. Gertrude as Protestant allegory for a corrupt Catholic Church. Gertrude drinks because she is a slave to her animal passions as mother, as incestuous adulterer, and as slave to drink. For an example of this reading, see
Linda Kay Hoff, Hamlet's Choice: A Reformation Allegory.
2. A surprised Gertrude as queen of wishful thinking [1]: Gertrude sees “The Mousetrap” (with its mention of poison) and hears Hamlet accuse Claudius of murder, but thinks Hamlet is mad; she doesn’t tell Claudius of Hamlet’s accusations to protect her son.
- If she feels guilt, it may be that her hasty remarriage upset her son and kept him from the throne, contributing to his madness.
- When Hamlet apologizes to Laertes, she thinks that all may still be well, both with Hamlet and with Claudius.
- When Hamlet gets the first hit and wins the bet for Claudius, she is so proud, she cannot help but ignore Claudius’ request that she not drink, so she is surprised to find it was poisoned.
- Examples, see the Branagh directed Hamlet with Julie Christie as Gertrude, or Glenn Close as Gertrude in the 1990 Mel Gibson film, dir. Zeffirelli.
3. Suicidal Gertrude: In the 2018 BBC film with Lia Williams as Gertrude and Andrew Scott as Hamlet, dir. Icke, Gertrude eavesdrops on Claudius and Laertes, so she knows of their plan to poison the rapier and cup.
- Because she is certain of poison, when she decides to drink from the chalice instead of her son and to finish off so much of it, replacing mystery and suspicion with certitude and suicide.
4. A more nuanced Gertrude: She is attentive, suspecting poison but uncertain, so she sets a mousetrap for her new husband by announcing that she will drink to her son's good fortune.
- She does this to see if Claudius will stop her and confess, if it is poisoned.
- If it is not poisoned, all may be well.
- If it is poisoned, she’d rather be the one to prove it even if it costs her life instead of her son's.
- Film examples: 1947 (Eileen Herlie as Gertrude, Lawrence Olivier as Hamlet); 2008 (Penny Downie, dir. Doran); and 2000 (Diane Venora, dir. Almereyda).[2]
https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2024/02/part-30-interlude-tale-of-four-gertrudes.html
NOTES: All references to Hamlet are to the Folger Shakespeare Library online version: https://shakespeare.folger.edu/shakespeares-works/hamlet/entire-play/
[1] In this reading, Hamlet might like to imaging his mother singing “King of Wishful Thinking” while thinking of her first husband, King Hamlet: https://youtu.be/TPFmMdH29ZM?si=DJYIEWD3Mt1RG6Cw
[2] Examples might include the 2008 RSC film with Penny Downie as Gertrude (and David Tennant as Hamlet, dir. Doran), in which a pensive Gertrude may suspect poison; in the 2000 film with Diane Venora (Ethan Hawle as Hamlet, dir. Almereyda), Gertrude also suspects poison.
IMAGES:
Top L: William Salter Herrick (c.1807-1891). Hamlet in the Queen's chamber (ca. 1857), detail. Public domain via Folger Shakespeare Library at https://www.pinterest.com/pin/555420566546390752/
Top R: Edwin Austin Abbey (1852–1911), The Queen in Hamlet (1895), detail. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. Public domain via https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abbey_-_The_Queen_in_Hamlet.jpg
Bottom L: Edwin Austin Abbey (1852–1911), The Play Scene in Hamlet (Act III, Scene 2) (1897), detail. Yale University Art Gallery. Public domain via
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edwin_Austin_Abbey_-_The_Play_Scene_in_%E2%80%9CHamlet%E2%80%9D_(Act_III,_Scene_2)_-_1937.2171_-_Yale_University_Art_Gallery.jpg
Bottom R: Benjamin West (1738–1820), Hamlet: Act IV, Scene V (Ophelia Before the King and Queen), 1792. Detail. Cincinnati Art Museum. Public domain via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benjamin_West_-_Hamlet-_Act_IV,_Scene_V_(Ophelia_Before_the_King_and_Queen)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
Far right and left: The first of the blots of the Rorschach inkblot test. Detail (halves, mirror images). Public domain via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rorschach_test#/media/File:Rorschach_blot_01.jpg
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INDEX OF OPHELIA POSTS:
My 2023 series on Ophelia, and earlier Ophelia posts:
https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2023/10/index-of-ophelia-posts-2023-series-and.html
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Disclaimer: If and when I quote or paraphrase bible passages or mention religion in many of my blog posts, I do not intend to promote any religion over another, nor am I attempting to promote religious belief in general; only to explore how the Bible and religion influenced Shakespeare, his plays, and his age.
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Thanks for reading!
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