In Hamlet, the playwright Shakespeare writes, the queen’s confidence is undermined by three key events. The first event is when the ghost of Hamlet’s father tells her that she should be more circumspect in her judgment. The second event is when the ghost of Polonius wears false teeth to communicate with the queen. Finally, the ghost of Hamlet’s mother tells her that she should be more careful in her judgment.
These events are considered subtext in Hamlet, meaning they are not said out loud but rather implied. In these text-only events, the queen is very much sure of herself and her judgments. However, this confidence is shaken when she must rely on false teeth or hearsay to prove herself worthy of rule.
This article will discuss these subtext text events in Hamlet and provide some tips for you to understand them better.
Her son’s death
When a child dies, a person’s sense of composure and confidence can be impacted for the rest of her life.
In Hamlet’s play, when Gertrude learns that her son, Claudius, has been murdered she is devastated. She thinks it was dishonorable to let him die and she would have preferred to have him live. This shows how important children are to someone and how hard it can be to lose one.
The scene where Gertrude hears the news is when she is reading a manuscript at court. When she reads the last line, it says that Claudius has been killed and she crumbles into a ball with grief. This shows how important children are to someone and how difficult it can be to lose one.
Her husband’s murder
While many people associate theatre with enjoying a nice, long movie or TV show, there is actually a whole industry devoted to theatre. Theatre has its own rules and restrictions, which make it even more enjoyable to enjoy the art in its most pure form.
Theatre is about being in an atmosphere and experiencing a story with your eyes, ears, and mind. It is about being present and connected to the story.
This makes theatre unique compared to other art forms. For instance, while painting can have some feel-good benefits, it lessens when compared to what theatre can do. When you are fully invested in a scene, you are more likely to feel completely vulnerable and/or emotionally invested. This makes you confidence boost!
Therefore, when you are on stage performing your role, you need to be comfortable in that self-confidence zone.
Her father-in-law’s death
When Queen Gertrude learns her father-in-law has passed, she is devastated. She had been planning a celebration to celebrate his birthday, and now she will not be able to do so.
She was confident in her husband’s abilities as a ruler, and he proved that by naming him king. He made the right choice in her husband, however; King Hamlet is a weak and unsure ruler.
Because of this, Queen Gertrude’s confidence in her husband’s ability to reign is undermined. She doubts himself and his decisions, which causes her to lose control.
She becomes mentally unstable and starts irrational thinking patterns, both of which contribute to her failure as ruler. It is important for others to recognize this and take steps to help her regain control.
Her brother-in-law’s murder
In Hamlet’s monologue, “To be or not to be,” the prince of Denmark considers whether or not he should continue his life of crime. He wonders if being a killing machine makes him indispensable.
In order to survive and thrive as a crime lord, he values his employees highly and makes extensive changes to them in order to keep them loyal and successful.
This is what makes him so vulnerable. He can lose his job or someone can gain it faster than he can replace them. When Gertrude lost her job years ago, she was forced out very quickly. She did not have time to rebuild her confidence and self-esteem. This was an issue that continued to effects her until now.
Her husband’s ghost
When it comes to invoking the supernatural, most people think of movies and TV shows when they hear the word “supernatural.” But you don’t need a movie or TV show to introduce you to the concept of the supernatural.
Every day, there are things that happen that seem out of ordinary, but we take them for granted. For example, when you drive down the road, something else besides cars and traffic must be happening at that moment.
You don’t think about it until something out of ordinary happens and you look up to see what caused it. Then you wonder how someone could operate a car or put up a roof at that height!
The world is filled with things that are mysterious, so if you want to learn more about God and His work in our world, then listening to spiritual stories is a great way to do this.
Polonius’s death
Hamlet’s father, the Earl of Polonius, is murdered by a prince named Laertes.
The plot event that undermines Queen Gertrude’s confidence is when Laertes murders her husband and she believes he is the king. This event changes her whole perspective on authority and people in power.
Queen Gertrude is very confident in her position as ruler of Denmark, but this event changes her confidence. She no longer sees herself as capable or strong, she only sees herself as someone who was killed. She no longer believes she will live through this incident or that she will be forgiven, but those around her do.
This effect can be seen in all levels of government, even today when people know they can’t always hide what happened.
Ophelia’s suicide
Ophelia’s suicide is a darkly symbolic event in Hamlet. His mother, Queen Gertrude, died at the same time as Ophelia did, and their deaths undermined both of their confidence in themselves.
This is true even though they were much older than Ophelia and Gertrude. Their deaths made them realize how little control they had over their lives and over other people, especially those they romance.
Hamlet’s mother was a strong-willed woman who knew what she wanted out of life. When she passed, Hamlet felt as if he no longer knew where he was going or what he wanted to be when he got there.
This can be applied to any person who pushes themselves forward in life. We all have goals and people we want to meet, but sometimes we must trust that we are ready to meet them.
Laertes returning home after fighting with his father
When Hamlet, the son of- Laertes returning home after fighting with his father
Shakespeare’s famous play, The Finding of Hamlet’s Father, focuses on a few key events that undermine Queen Gertrude’s confidence in her son.
These events include her arrival at court to find that her husband has married another woman, and that he is actively seeking out a child from this new relationship. Additionally, these events include the discovery of evidence that Laertes was killed in combat and the resulting guilt that Queen Gertrude must now face.
While all three of these events are important to the plot, the return of King Laertes to Denmark is one event that subverts Queen Gertrude’s confidence in his ability to lead Denmark.
As we will discuss later, this undermines both his confidence and his ability to rule effectively.
