'Hamlet'

1. Act 3 Scene 3 'Hamlet' Having being charged with the unenviable task of avenging his late father’s death, the troubled young Prince hamlet resolves that he must first gain proof of his uncle’s crime before acting. As a result of this quest for verification, Hamlet staged the ‘play within the play’ in Act 3 Scene 2 in which he instructed to the players to re-enact the murder of his father in a bit to stir the guilt of his uncle. As Scene 3 opens, the King reveals that Hamlet has indeed left him troubled. He wants rid of the troublesome Prince in order to protect his own throne. When alone, Claudius reveals to the audience that he does indeed feel guilt over his crimes, yet he finds it difficult to repent. Upon discovery of his praying uncle, Hamlet resolves that he cannot carry out his father’s wishes at this moment as by killing Claudius at prayer, he would therefore reward his uncle with a place in heaven. Given that his own father was not provided with such a reward, he believes that he must wait until Claudius is engaged in a sinful act. Despite this, Claudius’ attempts to pray are unsuccessful as he is unwilling to give up the things that he has gained from his crime. His repentance is not true or natural.

2. I like him not, nor stands it safe with us To let his madness range…The terms of our estate may not endure Hazard so dangerous as doth hourly grow Out of his lunacies. Following the events of the play within the play, it is clear that Claudius has been left troubled by not only the events of the performance, but perhaps more significantly the unpredictable and inexplicable behaviour of his wayward nephew. Claudius fears what he is unable to control and Hamlet’s increasingly erratic and seemingly mad behaviour leaves him unsettled and fearful, not only for his own safety, but for the stability of the Danish court itself. As a result of these fears, Claudius instructs Rozencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England.

3. Oh, my offence is rank. It smells to heaven. It hath the primal eldest curse upon ’t, A brother’s murder. Pray can I not….My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent, Once alone on the stage, Claudius begins to try to pray. This is the first time that he has confirmed to the audience that he did indeed kill his brother the King. It is also the first time that the words of the ghost have been confirmed as the truth. There are a number of aspects of his confession that are important including his own awareness of the grave significance of his crime. By killing a sitting monarch, Claudius has disrupted the natural order of royalty. The act of regicide is a grave offence and it is a distortion of the natural order of things. Claudius

4. Oh, my offence is rank. It smells to heaven. It hath the primal eldest curse upon ’t, A brother’s murder. Pray can I not….My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent, …ended the life of the King before his period on earth had come to a natural conclusion. This is one reason why his ‘offence is rank’. Kings are believed to have been selected by God. It should be God’s decision when their reign comes to an end. The crime is further heightened by Claudius’ own awareness that the murder of the King mirrors the murder of Abel in the book of Genesis. It is the worst crime of all. Despite this guilt, Claudius is finding it difficult to focus his mind to pray as his guilt appears to be dominating his thoughts.

5. Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens To wash it white as snow?... “Forgive me my foul murder”? That cannot be, since I am still possessed Of those effects for which I did the murder: My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. As Claudius continues to attempt to pray, he observes that he is unlikely to ever attain true forgiveness while he still holds the things that he has gained from his crimes. He longs for his hands to be washed clean and pure from his crime, yet observes that there is not enough rain in the heavens to ever clear him of the deed. The reason for this is that he continues to benefit from his crime. He still has the hand of Gertrude in marriage, he still wears the crown of Denmark and he is still driven by his own ambition. Claudius’ motivation was pure greed and he is unable to move on from this.

6. And so am I revenged.—That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and, for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven. Oh, this is hire and salary, not revenge. Hamlet discovers his Uncle as he attempts to pray. Having struggled to act as the spirit of his late father requested, Hamlet finds himself presented with the best opportunity yet to carry out his revenge. With Claudius at prayer, he is vulnerable and unprotected, yet despite this he once again fails to act. Hamlet believes that he cannot possibly murder Claudius while he is at prayer as this will result in his uncle being rewarded with a seat in heaven…something which his own father was denied.

7. Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent. When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, Or in th' incestuous pleasure of his bed, Hamlet resolves that he cannot possibly reward his murderous uncle with the kind of afterlife that his idolised father had been denied. Claudius killed the King while he relaxed and was unable to repent. Hamlet decides that he will take the life of his uncle while he is engaged in sinful pursuit. In many ways, this is simply further evidence of Hamlet’s tendency to procrastinate and philosophise his actions. His failure to act here sets up a tragic chain of events.

8. My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go The failure of Hamlet to act is revealed to be ultimately ironic. Hamlet resolved that he could not act as he felt that killing the king at prayer would send him to heaven…yet as Claudius leaves the stage, he reveals that his prayer had been unsuccessful. Although he said the right things and had the right intentions, he is unable to fully commit to his prayer as he retains the gains of his offence. Had Hamlet acted as he had planned then Claudius would not have been rewarded…

9. My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go …a place in heaven as he had feared. Had Hamlet acted, not only would the king not have gone to heaven, but ultimately much of the tragedy that is to follow could have been avoided. Had Hamlet killed Claudius he may not have killed Polonius, for whom Ophelia would not have mourned, whom Laertes would not have sought revenge and so on…