Gertrude and Claudius

Gertrude and Claudius

There are many significant relationships within Shakespeare’s Hamlet – the love affair between Hamlet and Ophelia, Polonius’ concern for Ophelia as her father, and Horatio and Hamlet’s friendship are examples. However the relationship between Queen Gertrude and King Claudius is quite notable. Gertrude plays a queen, naive and very comfortable with all her luxuries, and also a loving mother to Hamlet. Claudius, king of Denmark and uncle to Hamlet, can be described as a selfish “wolf in sheep’s clothing” mastering the art of treachery, pretending to love Hamlet as his son. A question rises involving the relationship between the King and Queen: Who loved the other the most?
It is difficult to state whether Gertrude truly loved Claudius. Considering the hasty marriage after the death of the former king, it is arguable that Gertrude did not truly love him. She remarried quickly, masking her grief of the death of her husband. If she did show signs of her love towards Claudius, it is merely the love recycled from her previous marriage. One could say that she is a spoiled queen, too naïve to realize that Claudius only lusts after her.
Claudius on the other hand, did not love Gertrude. The most important person in his life was himself. It was proven that he murdered the former king and planned to kill Hamlet, for the sake of keeping his power on the throne. At the end of Hamlet, before Gertrude drinks from the poisoned cup, Claudius stops her, although, it was not out of love, but for the fear of being caught in an evil act to kill Hamlet, the successor of the throne of Denmark.
If anything, Gertrude would be the one who loves Claudius the most, even though her love is blind, and it is in her nature to be affectionate. Claudius has no love for her – only lust.