Hamlet And His Mother Gertrude example essay topic

Hamlet and his mother Gertrude, the queen, have a relationship with great intensity and many variations in the way they express their love for each other, which are illustrated throughout the play. Gertrude helps to reveal the anger and rage that Hamlet feels deep inside. Gertrude is also a strong contributing factor in Hamlets fury and frustration. The strong feelings of love and respect that Hamlet has toward his mother are tested by many of Gertrude actions.

Although in the opening of the play, Hamlet and his mother engage in tender, loving behavior, there are many instances in which tenderness is far off in their relationship. When Hamlet is first brought into the play, we learn of his fathers untimely death, in the movie by Franco Zeffirelli, we are shown the awful, negative response he has at the funeral. Having great difficulty coping with the unexpected death of his father, the king, Hamlet continues to mope and hang his head low two months past the funeral. The queen on the other hand, sings and dances around as if the death of her husband had no significance and worse yet, we find out about her engagement to her late husbands brother. This strikes Hamlet as being extremely odd and disrespectful to her previous marriage to his father. Hamlet may honor his mother, but will in no way honor her decision to marry his uncle.

Not wanting to offend his mother by telling her of his disapproval of her marriage to his uncle, Hamlet keeps his anger and disbelief inside revealing his feeling to no one. Hamlet is trying desperately to understand the false actions, in his opinion, of his mother. While suffering from this confusion, Hamlet is face to face with the ghost of his father. From the visit of the ghost, Hamlet learns the truth of his fathers death, and his confusion is no more. The ghost tells Hamlet that it was his uncle who murdered him and robbed him of his chance for penance. Hearing this news makes Hamlet furious and he wants revenge on his uncle.

He watches his mother kiss and fuss over his demon of an uncle and it makes him sick. Hamlet decides to act on his anger, even if it means upsetting and disrespecting his mother who he honors and loves so dearly. Hamlet uses the players to seek his revenge. The players act out a play which tells a story similar to that of his fathers murder to make the king repent. Hamlets idea works, and the king becomes sick with the thought of the horror shown on stage being his reality. The queen becomes uneasy as well.

Excited about the kings reaction to his plan, Hamlet goes to his mother to taunt her. This is an action never shown by Hamlet before. He boldly approaches her and forces her to listen to him: QUEEN: Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended. HAMLET: Mother, thou hast my father much offended. QUEEN: Come, come you answer with an idle tongue. HAMLET: Go, go you question with a wicked tongue.

QUEEN: Why, how now, Hamlet HAMLET: Whats the matter now QUEEN: Have you forgotten me HAMLET: No, by the rood, not so! You are the Queen, your husbands brothers wife, And, would it were not so, you are my mother. QUEEN: Nay, then Ill set those to you that can speak. HAMLET: Come, come, and sit you down. You shall not budge.

You shall not go until I set up a glass. Where you may see the inmost part of you! (1147, lines 10-21) After this point in the play, Hamlets relationship with his mother is very different than it has been up to this point in the play. The queen is upset with him for acting as he did toward her, but she sees beyond that and treats him somewhat normal again. Hamlet, too, is still angry with his mother, but he got his ill feelings for her out, so he stopped harassing her. Hamlets revenge on the king is over with until the end of the play where the king defies him once again.

While competing in a dual sward match with the brother of Hamlets late lover, Hamlet gets stabbed with a sword, which is soaked with poison. As if this incident wasnt unfortunate enough, the king places a poisonous pill in Hamlets drink. Hamlet never sips from this drink, although his mother does. Watching his mother slip away, as he is, Hamlet charges after the king realizing that he was responsible for taking his mothers life. Hamlet pierces the king with the same sword, which controlled his destiny and pours the poisonous drink into his mouth. After killing his uncle, Hamlet stumbles to his mothers side.

He watches her pass away, and dies himself. The love that Hamlet holds so dearly in his heart for his mother comes out in the final scene. Although Hamlet had disapproved of his mothers actions and at one point resented her, he still held respect, love, and honor for her and proves it by seeking revenge on his uncle as well as going to his mothers side at her final moments on earth. 332.