Bradley’s Hamlet lessons with Julian

On page 152 of The Black Prince, Bradley and Julian discuss Gertrude’s involvement in the King’s murder from Hamlet. Julian feels that Gertrude may have had a hand in the murder with Claudius. She also expresses the idea that Gertrude and Claudius may have had an affair prior to the king’s murder. She states, “I think some women have a nervous urge to commit adultery, especially when they reach a certain age” (Murdoch 152). This hints at the possible link between Gertrude and Julian’s mother, Rachel.

Bradley feels Gertrude is definitely not involved in any way with the murder and did not have any previous relationship with Claudius. Bradley feels Hamlet is Shakespeare (see pages 185-195) and that Hamlet had an Oedipus complex and was a homosexual and involved romantically with Horatio. Bradley quickly dismisses anything negative with Gertrude, likely because of his obsession with his own mother. These Hamlet interruptions in the novel mirror the plotline and foreshadow what is to come. Julian asks, “Why couldn’t Ophelia save Hamlet?” which Bradley responds, “Because, my dear Julian, pure ignorant young girls cannot save complicated neurotic over-educated older men from disaster,” (Murdoch 188). This of course foreshadows Bradley’s demise at the end of the novel, something Julian could not prevent.

Of course, with my adamant feelings regarding Gertrude, I feel Murdoch would agree with me on Gertrude’s involvement in the king’s murder. Sure Bradley disagrees, but Murdoch obviously fashioned Rachel to mirror Gertrude, and Rachel is manipulative and conniving and self-preserving at all and any cost. She even states that “I won’t save [Arnold, her husband,] at the end. I’ll watch him drown. I’ll watch him burn” (Murdoch 33). I feel it is pretty clear that Rachel is a smart, strong woman, which the very same can be said about Gertrude. Gertrude had her own power, and I feel she used that power to allow and influence the downfall of a king.

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