Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens?
What if this cursed hand Were thicker than itself with brother’s blood, Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens To wash it white as snow? Whereto serves mercy But to confront the visage of offence? And what’s in prayer but this twofold force, To be forestalled ere we come to fall, Or pardon’d being down?
What is Claudius soliloquy about?
My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent; Claudius begins his soliloquy by describing his ‘offence’ – killing his brother, Old Hamlet – as ‘rank’, i.e. foul-smelling and offensive. Claudius wants to be able to pray, but his guilt is so great that he’s afraid even to address God, given the weight of his crime.
What is the effect of Claudius soliloquy?
What is the effect of Claudius’ soliloquy? In his soliloquy he talks about the guilt he feels, he doesnt want to ask for forgiveness. But he gets down on his knees to pray for forgiveness anyway. He questions if he can be forgiven because he wont give up Gertrude or his power.
What does Claudius reveal about himself in his soliloquy?
What does Claudius reveal in his soliloquy? Claudius reveals his sin is similar to the “primal eldest curse,” or the curse put upon Cain for murdering his brother Abel, which is accurate being that Claudius killed his brother, King Hamlet.
Who is killed while spying on Hamlet?
Hamlet, realizing that someone is behind the arras and suspecting that it might be Claudius, cries, “How now! a rat?” (III. iv. 22). He draws his sword and stabs it through the tapestry, killing the unseen Polonius.
Was Claudius actually praying?
In Act III, scene iii, Hamlet finally seems ready to put his desire for revenge into action. He is satisfied that the play has proven his uncle’s guilt. When Claudius prays, the audience is given real certainty that Claudius murdered his brother: a full, spontaneous confession, even though nobody else hears it.
Why is the To Be or Not To Be soliloquy so famous?
Why is Hamlet’s ‘To be or not to be’ speech so famous? This is partly because the opening words are so interesting, memorable and intriguing, but also because Shakespeare ranges around several cultures and practices to borrow the language for his images.