Blog Assignment #1

I don’t know what to do anymore.  It’s only been two months since the passing of my dear husband, Hamlet, and now I find myself in an awkward position.  I know that to some people my marriage to Claudius seems strange and a little hasty, but what right do they have to tell me what to do?  I am their Queen after all.  As my new husband so graciously declared in the throne room earlier today I am “Th’ imperial jointress to this warlike state,” (1.2.9) and I think I’m entitled to a little respect from those around me.  I think I’ve earned it.  It’s not always easy being the Queen of Denmark with all these prying eyes.

But enough of that, I’m not one for self-pity.  What’s bothering the most about the events of today is my son, Hamlet.  He hasn’t been himself recently and while I know that the death of his father is weighing heavily on his mind I think it’s time that he puts it behind him and move on with his life.  He can’t just spend the rest of his days mourning over something that’s never going to come back.  Claudius and I tried to tell him of this earlier, but I’m not sure if he really understood what we were saying.  I think I was correct in saying, “Thou know’st ‘tis common; all that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity,” (1.2.74-75), don’t you?  I mean really who doesn’t understand that nothing can last forever?  But all he said in response was, “Ay, madam, it is common.” (1.2.76).  Nothing else, just that.  But I guess that’s all I’ll ever get out of him. He doesn’t seem to want to talk to me anymore and I don’t know how much more I can take of his bad mood.  It darkens everything.  And what we really need right now is celebration.  I should be celebrating my union with Claudius and we should be having feasts and parties and everything that goes along with a new marriage, but Hamlet’s mood seems to ruin every good mood in this castle.  It’s so depressing to be around!

Speaking of Hamlet’s depression….I feel that it may go beyond his grief at the death of his father.  I think he may also be angry with me about my marriage to his uncle, Claudius.  I admit that at first I thought it was just surprise and that he’d get over it and see that this was in fact a good decision…but now I’m not so sure.  I’ve heard people talking about how he’s been known to be heard asking how I could go from loving someone like his father to loving Claudius.  I even heard that today someone overheard him say, “…why she even married…my father’s brother, but no more like my father than I to Hercules.” (1.2.153-158).  This comment saddens me the most.  I can’t believe he dislikes my relationship with Claudius enough to talk about his Uncle in this way.  Claudius is a very good man and Hamlet could learn a lot from him. 

I hope with all my heart that Hamlet will get over his black feelings and accept Claudius as my new husband.  I fear that if this doesn’t happen it can only lead to bad things and God knows that we’ve suffered through enough these past few months.  It’s just hard to believe that these things will actually come to pass, especially after I’ve heard that Hamlet has been talking about me behind my back.  While the comments that I mentioned before hurt my feelings and make me wonder what happened to the Hamlet that I knew only two months ago, this most recent attack against me has me wondering if I ever actually knew my son at all.  It was the night after Claudius made the announcement to the people declaring that I was his Queen that this comment was overheard and I’ll mention it only once because it hurts to even think about.   So here it is.  Hamlet was heard saying the words, “O most pernicious woman!  O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!” (1.5.12-13).  To be called a villain by my own son is the worst thing imaginable.  I don’t know how I’ll be able to face him the next time I see him now that I’ve  learned that this is how he truly feels about me.

 

Your Loving Queen,

 

Gertrude