Gertrude of Hamlet In Hamlet, Gertrude is a woman who means no harm but whose poor judgment contributes greatly to the terrible events that occur. There are only two female characters in the play and neither, Gertrude or Ophelia, is assertive. But the decisions Gertrude makes ultimately lead to her death and the downfall of others as well. We first realize in Act I, scene 2 that poor judgment is his major character flaw. As the mother of a grieving son, Gertrude should have been more sensitive to Hamlet's feelings. Instead, less than two months after King Hamlet's death, Gertrude remarries Claudius, her deceased husband's brother. Gertrude should have realized how humiliated Hamlet would feel, because at that time it was considered incestuous for a widow to marry her husband's brother. There is also jealousy on the part of a child, who believes that the mother should pay more attention to him during the mourning period. Gertrude is out of touch with her son's feelings to understand why he is angry. Hamlet expresses this indignation during his first soliloquy:O, wicked speed, post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! (I.ii 156-157)Gertrude is shown as a loving mother but a parent who cannot read the behavior of her children. When he answers Hamlet, he says that it is common for all men to die, but not just any man died, he should realize; He is Hamlet's father! Furthermore, when Gertrude asks Hamlet: If so, why does it seem so peculiar to you? (I.ii 74-75) intends to calm him, but the word "seems" only makes Hamlet more suspicious. He fails to realize that in his sensitive mood, the word “seems” will give Hamlet the… middle of paper… him! But in the end she has to admit to herself that Claudius is guilty of killing old Hamlet and of trying to kill Hamlet. When he warns Hamlet not to drink the wine, he once again shows compassion for his son and his desire to protect him from danger. In other words, the last scene of the play summarizes the two sides of Gertrude. As a mother, she means well and cares for her son, but her bad decisions and inability to judge people correctly are a major cause of the tragedy. If Gertrude had been a different kind of person, many of the deaths would not have occurred. List of works cited Bradley, AC Shakespearean Tragedy. New York, 1965. Cohen, Michael. “Hamlet” in my mind's eye. Athens (Georgia), 1980.Coyle, Martin, ed. New notebooks: Hamlet. New York, 1992. King, Walter N. Hamlet's Search for Meaning. Athens (Georgia), 1982-.