Hamlet 3.4 Dig Deeper: Gertrude's "Closet"

The transcript discusses the scene in Hamlet involving Gertrude's Closet, a private chamber, and its implications. John Dover Wilson's book popularized the term 'bedroom scene,' emphasizing sexual undertones. Productions often use a bed to suggest a sexualized relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude. Elizabethan audiences would have been shocked by a woman entertaining anyone other than her husband in such a private space. A closet was a place of solitude and control, making Polonius's eavesdropping significant. Critics see this as an example of Claudius's regime invading personal privacy. Hamlet's quick actions in the scene are attributed to the assumption that Claudius was behind the curtain.

What new insight or understanding did you gain from this video?