The Ghost claims that Gertrude has committed adultery with Claudius during her first marriage. In the play, we learn that she marries Claudius quickly (within two months of her first husband's death), even though marriage to a brother-in-law would be considered incestuous. (England's Henry VIII had needed a papal dispensation in order to marry his brother's widow Catherine, and then when he had no male heir, he felt it was because the marriage was incestuous. Since this history led to Henry starting the Church of England in 1534, the issue would have been familiar to Shakespeare's contemporaries. About 65 years had passed since Henry VIII's break with Catholicism and the staging of Hamlet in 1601. The Ghost claims that Gertrude has committed adultery with Claudius during her first marriage. In the play, we learn that she marries him quickly (within two months of her first husband's death), even though marriage to a brother-in-law would be considered incestuous. (England's Henry VIII had needed a papal dispensation in order to marry his brother's widow Catherine, and then when he had no male heir, he felt it was because the marriage was incestuous. Since this history led to Henry starting the Church of England in 1534, the issue would have been familiar to Shakespeare's contemporaries. About 65 years had passed since Henry VIII's break with Catholicism and the staging of Hamlet around 1601. Despite Gertrude's hasty re-marriage, she appears innocent of her first husband's murder. She fails to react to the murder in the "Mousetrap" scene of 3.2, and she seems very surprised at Hamlet's claim in 3.4 that King Hamlet was murdered. Claudius' claim that Gertrude dotes on Hamlet seems borne out by her concern for him in 1.2 ("Why seems it so particular with you?") and her concern to find out the cause of his madness. She is tender toward Ophelia, whom she says she had hoped would be Hamlet's bride (5.1) and she continues to be affectionate toward Hamlet, moping his brow in the duel scene (5.3). She seems affectionate and sensual. It is not clear whether she turns against Claudius after the "closet" scene. It is not clear in the last scene whether she is trying to warn Hamlet against Claudius or just revealing that the wine has been poisoned.
In Kenneth Branagh's 1996 film, King Claudius (Derek Jacobi on left) faces his new queen, Gertrude (Julie Christie), with his son-nephew Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh) glaring in the center.
Rolf Konow & Peter Mountain
