ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HAMLET 3.4 “BLESSING BEG OF YOU” and 1-2 KINGS WIDOW TALES

On the Significance of HAMLET 3.4 and 1-2 KINGS Elijah/Elisha, widow tales

Here are some of the possibilities for this allusion’s significance: 

- If Gertrude (aware of her sick soul and guilt in 4.5) desires to be blessed, then we must ask: What blessings do Hamlet (or his surrogates) beg of her, or what blessings does she offer, perhaps without even being asked (as mothers are sometimes prone to do)? 

- Gertrude is faithful to her promise to keep Hamlet’s secret from Claudius (3.4.219-221). 

- She overcomes her own reluctance and greets an apparently mad Ophelia (4.5.21). 

- When Ophelia drowns, she portrays it not as suicide, but as a holy death, with Ophelia chanting lauds (4.7.202); Gertrude blames crown-envy for Ophelia’s fall into the brook: Ophelia had been placing “coronet weeds” (4.7.197, small floral crowns) on branches, and the sliver on which she stood was envious (4.7.98 envious about not receiving a crown like others). Gertrude figuratively and carefully blames crown-envy for Ophelia’s death. The main person in the play who exhibits crown-envy is Claudius. 

- At Ophelia’s grave, Gertrude makes explicit her disappointed hope that Hamlet and Ophelia would have wed (5.1.255-7).

- After witnessing Laertes and Hamlet argue in 5.1 and struggle at or in Ophelia’s grave (also Yorick’s), via a Lord-messenger Gertrude requests that Hamlet give Laertes “some gentle

entertainment” before the duel (5.2.220-1), and he replies, “She well instructs me.” 

- If we view “envious sliver” as a careful, figurative blaming of Claudius for the death of Ophelia, we might easily imagine Gertrude suspecting poison and at least testing the chalice of wine for her son in 5.2. 

All of these could be considered blessings Gertrude offers to Hamlet or his surrogates (Ophelia, even Laertes) without being begged to offer them.