Gertrude in Five Songs

Gertrude is easily one of the most overlooked characters in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” She exists at the center of the play’s tragic chaos, as the Queen of Denmark, widow of the previous king, wife to another and mother to a son descending into madness, yet she is rarely given her own narrative. Gertrude’s lines are limited, and most of her insights are filtered through the perspectives of men, especially Hamlet, who sees her hasty remarriage as a source of betrayal and expresses immense disdain for her.

This selection of five tracks traces the complex strengths, struggles and silences of Gertrude’s character. By listening to these songs, we can reimagine Gertrude’s inner consciousness, recognizing her resilience under the overbearing weight of patriarchal control.

1. “Man-Size” by PJ Harvey

PJ Harvey’s aggressive vocals on this track offer a voice to the unspoken exhaustion of Gertrude. “Man-Size” critiques the entitlement of male power while simultaneously embodying it, mirroring Gertrude’s own efforts to navigate the patriarchal world of Denmark’s court. Lyrics such as “I want to fit / I’ve got to get / Man-sized” echo Gertrude’s effort to align with the expectations of society and maintain her influence by marrying Claudius. Her limited power as a queen relies on her relationships with men. The desire to get “man-sized” becomes symbolic of her attempts to survive in a world that only values women through their proximity to male power.

2. “The Light That Has Lighted the World” by George Harrison

This beautiful, reflective song (one of my personal favorites) mirrors Gertrude’s feelings when she is judged by both the people of Denmark and her own son for trying to find peace after her husband’s death. Harrison’s opening line, “I’ve heard how some people have said that I’ve changed / That I’m not what I was / How it really is a shame,” reflects the intense disappointment that Gertrude must face from Hamlet, who sees her remarriage as both immoral and a betrayal. Harrison’s lyrics also express a quiet resistance: “They live all their lives without looking to see / The light that has lighted the world.” Gertrude’s choices may seem selfish to others, but as a woman, they are her best attempts at grasping for security. Harrison’s song is Gertrude defending her humanity. 

3. “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac

A timeless song about navigating the challenges and instability of life, “Landslide” speaks to Gertrude’s experience balancing her various roles while struggling to assert her own identity. “I’ve been afraid of changing / ‘Cause I’ve built my life around you” could be Gertrude speaking to the men who have defined her: King Hamlet, Claudius and her son. Stevie Nicks’ lyrics about seeing her own “reflection in the snow-covered hills” until the “landslide” parallels the play’s closet scene, when Hamlet forces Gertrude to confront the consequences of her choices. However, as Gertrude’s life collapses, and the “landslide” hits, we understand that her complicity is not born of evil, but of constraint.

4. “Stars” by Nina Simone

Gertrude’s power is fleeting and conditional, solely built on her relationships with men. Nina Simone’s heartbreaking live rendition of singer Janis Ian’s song “Stars” captures the loneliness of a misunderstood woman defined by others’ expectations. “You who gave the crown / Have been let down” is Gertrude’s unspoken lament. She enables Claudius’ pursuit of the crown, only to be resented by Hamlet and once again trapped as queen, outwardly perceived to be in a position of power but lacking any real agency. The lyric, “They’ll never know the pain / Of living with a name you never owned,” reflects Gertrude’s suffering from having her voice diminished by the roles imposed on her.

5. “Goodbye Evergreen” by Sufjan Stevens

This song, written by Stevens after the loss of his partner, is an elegy. In “Hamlet,” Gertrude’s description of Ophelia’s death is tender and poetic, greatly contrasting with her other lines throughout the play. It is one of the first moments we see Gertrude as more than a wife or a mother. She is a woman, witnessing another woman’s demise under oppressive patriarchal control. “Goodbye Evergreen” could be Gertrude’s grief, solidarity and recognition of herself in Ophelia. Stevens’ line, “Deliver me from the poison pain,” reflects not only Gertrude’s quiet sorrow for Ophelia, but her own pain under the court, which quite literally poisons her.

Gertrude is often dismissed as complicit or passive, but I see her as a misunderstood woman doing her best to survive in a world where her own voice and autonomy aren’t acknowledged. These songs are a way to represent the layers of Gertrude’s identity, and they allow us to hear what she wasn’t able to say within Shakespeare’s play. Give them a listen!

• character analysis
• Hamlet
• shakespeare
• song list