The Cup of Poison

Shakespeare’s Hamlet follows the journey of prince Hamlet to seek revenge for his father, King Hamlet’s, death. Hamlet struggles an internal battle throughout the play on whether he should kill his uncle, Claudius. A duel is arranged between Hamlet and Laertes, in which Claudius conspired to murder Hamlet. Claudius poisons a cup of wine and the tip of the sword used for the duel in attempts to kill Hamlet. Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, drinks the cup of poisoned wine, killing herself, to warn Hamlet that the wine is poisoned. This convinces Hamlet to kill his uncle to seek revenge for both his mother and father.

At the end of the play, Gertrude is forced to make the decision between her son and her husband, and ultimately chooses her son; “Her grief over Hamlet’s madness and her undoubted affection for both him and Claudius” (Smith 91). Gertrude’s decision to drink the poisoned wine, although Claudius warns her not to, as her final act of defiance against Claudius. “It is in this atmosphere (surrounded by 5 men) that Gertrude has finally directly refused one of Claudius’s commands” (Montgomery 111). Although it is not certain that Gertrude knew the wine was poisoned, she does know of Claudius’s desire to murder Hamlet. This act of suicide that Gertrude makes is her final way of taking ownership of her life, “she is finally the interpreter of her own participation—and death—in Hamlet” (Montgomery 111).

Poison was historically used as a means of murder and suicide, “In former times it was always difficult to prove that someone had been murdered by poison and good legal counsel could play upon the lack of scientific knowledge to ensure that a murderous client walked free” (Emsley xii). Now, poison is not used in this way, as it is easily detectable in autopsy’s and can be traced back to the source.