Hamlet And His Family Essay, Research Paper

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 Hamlet?s fury and frustration. The strong feelings of love and

respect that Hamlet has toward his mother are tested by many of Gertrude?s

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 father?s 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 husband?s 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 father?s 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 father?s murder to

make the king repent. Hamlet?s 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 king?s 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: What?s the matter now?

QUEEN: Have you forgotten me? HAMLET: No, by the rood, not so! You are the

Queen, your husband?s brother?s wife, And, would it were not so, you are my

mother. QUEEN: Nay, then I?ll 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, Hamlet?s 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. Hamlet?s 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 Hamlet?s late

lover, Hamlet gets stabbed with a sword, which is soaked with poison. As if this

incident wasn?t unfortunate enough, the king places a poisonous pill in

Hamlet?s 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 mother?s 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 mother?s 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 mother?s 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