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But God decided to punish me by making me commit this murder—and to punish this man by having me kill him—so that I’m both Heaven’s judge and executioner. I will deal with the body, and suffer the consequences of the death I gave him.
- Act 4, Scene 1
Come, Gertrude, we’ll call up our wisest friends, And let...
- Hamlet
Hamlet asks the ghost if he has come to “chide” Hamlet for...
- Act 4, Scene 1
31 maj 2020 · Claudius begins his soliloquy by describing his ‘offence’ – killing his brother, Old Hamlet – as ‘rank’, i.e. foul-smelling and offensive. His crime is the very first murder in the Bible: Cain’s murder of his brother Abel, from the book of Genesis, and the subsequent curse placed upon mankind.
‘O, My Offence Is Rank It Smells To Heaven’ Soliloquy Translation. His offence was rank, it smelt to heaven. It had the most primal ancient curse on it. A brother’s murder! He tried to kneel but couldn’t. He couldn’t pray, even though his need to was as powerful as it could be. His guilt outweighed his strong desire.
Confess yourself to heaven; Repent what's past; avoid what is to come; And do not spread the compost on the weeds To make them ranker.
Confess yourself to heaven; Repent what's past; avoid what is to come; And do not spread the compost on the weeds, To make them ranker.
He decides to wait until his uncle is in sin before he will go for the kill. Hamlet exits and shortly after the Claudius rises, remarking that his prayers could not be heard by heaven.
In this soliloquy, Claudius confesses the deed and recoils at its smell. It is "rank" (that is, "rancid"), so rank that the vile odor wafts all the way to heaven. Thoughts of heaven...
