Activity 1.5

Activity 1.5

Thesis statement: Gertrude does everything she does because she loves her son, Hamlet, and wants to help him; nothing is done without consideration for him in one way or another.

Marrying Claudius right away would ensure she still has some power, to keep her son safe and perhaps next in line for the throne. Hamlet believes she’s done something awful by marrying Claudius, however she doesn’t see it that way.
“What have I done, that thou darest wag thy tongue
In noise so rude against me?” (III. iv. 14-51)
Gertrude truly sees what she’s done as something good for Hamlet.


Gertrude is heartbroken to see her son acting as madly and angry as he does. She wants only to help him be happy again.

“‘Forgive me this my virtue, For in the fatness of these pursy times Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg, Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good.’
‘O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.” (III. iv. 147-202)

Hamlet here is still explaining how angry he is, and why, and she sees his point of view, and is very hurt. She didn’t ever mean to hurt him as she accidentally did. Gertrude even asks her son for his opinion on how to talk to Claudius after her meeting with Hamlet.

“‘The death I gave him. So, again, good night. I must be cruel only to be kind. Thus bad begins and worse remains behind. One word more, good lady—’
‘What shall I do?’” (III. iv. 147-202)


She goes along with the plan Claudius created that would go on after the play, to find out what was bothering Hamlet. She could have done this for the sake of her son, not for the sake of Claudius.

She agreed to talk to Hamlet in her room after the play, hoping to learn what was bothering him so. Was it really the fact she had married so soon, or something else? But she cared enough about her son to do this for him.
(Cannot find the example in the text I wanted to use, really sorry.)