gertrude
... Gertrude, mother to Hamlet and widow of a murdered king, is one of the, if not most ambiguously motivated character in the play. In Rebecca Smith’s essay entitled Gertrude: Scheming Adulteress or Loving Mother, the character of Gertrude is examined to find context clues and intentions leading to Shakespeare’s true intention. The issue at hand is whether Gertrude is a scheming, deceitful, guilty and sex-driven person, or whether she is a sympathetic, innocent victim living between two loves. Smith’s most convincing argument states that compared to other interpretations, Gertrude is less aware of wrongdoings and is “more of an innocent sex object manipulated by her husband and son”, torn by her desire to please them both. Rebecca Smith provides concrete arguments to support her opinion that Gertrude is more of a victim than an accessory to a murder. ... Gertrude influences much of the actions of Hamlet and Claudius (80, 81). ... The only reason Claudius tolerates Hamlet’s threatening behavior is for the sake of Gertrude’s feelings.