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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.
Read Shakespeare’s ‘O, my offence is rank it smells to heaven’ soliloquy from Hamlet below with modern English translation and analysis, plus a video.
15 sie 2011 · The ghost of Hamlet's father tells Prince Hamlet that he was murdered by his own brother, King Claudius. He commands Hamlet to seek revenge for his dead father's murder. Hamlet swears to fulfill his revenge and to kill King Claudius. But later, Hamlet faces a dilemma. Can he trust the ghost?
Hamlet enters and sees Claudius praying. He is grateful to at last be alone with the man, believing now is the chance to kill him and take his revenge. Hamlet, however, finds himself in a conundrum—if he kills Claudius while the king is praying, Claudius’s soul will go to heaven.
To wash it white as snow? Whereto serves mercy. But to confront the visage of offense? Video Transcript: RALPH: Claudius is trying to pray for forgiveness, but he's so guilty that he can't bring himself to do it — he says that he's being pulled in two directions: he wants to pray, to find forgiveness, but he's so guilty he doesn't dare do it.
A summary of Act III: Scene i in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Hamlet and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
In this fifteen-part course, Professor John McRae (University of Nottingham) explores Shakespeare’s Hamlet, focusing in particular on Hamlet’s development from “a rogue and peasant slave” to the perfect (“most royal”) king.
