Queen Gertrude in Theory: The Construction of Hamlet’s Mother in Criticism and Film

Abstract

Shakespeare’s Queen Gertrude has one of the smallest central roles in Hamlet’s tragedy. However, despite her notable physical absence, Hamlet and Claudius spend much time in the play ruminating on their respective relationships with the queen. Gertrude’s absence in the play extends to literary criticism on Hamlet: her character is the least developed of Hamlet characters in literary criticism, especially in early literary criticism. The lack of attention Gertrude receives in this area begs the question, why? What is it about her character that makes her unworthy of analysis? Early critics tend to reduce Gertrude to the comments Hamlet makes about her and, while recent critics look at Gertrude’s personal words and actions, they still create readings of her that are rooted in the role she has with these male characters. Perhaps it is this role as a mother and queen that makes literary critics view Gertrude in a one-dimensional way, but Shakespeare’s ambiguities could also be the cause.