Act 3, scene iii questions

Act 3, scene 3, lines 36-72: Claudius soliloquy & Hamlet’s response

KING: My offence is rank, it smells to heaven;

it hath the primal eldest curse on upon’t.

A brother’s murder. Pray can I not,

Though inclination be as sharp as will.

1. Where is Claudius when he says these lines?

2. What do they say about his state of mind?

KING: What form of prayer

Can serve my turn? “Forgive me 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.

May one be pardoned and retain th’offence?

3. Claudius is arguing with himself. What are the two sides?

HAMLET: Now might I do it, now he is praying,

And now I’ll do it – and so he goes to heaven,

And so I am revenged. That would be scanned.

A villain kills my father, and for that,

I his sole son do this same villain send to heaven. Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge.

4. Where is Hamlet at this point?

5. What is Hamlet’s argument with himself?

6. What does Hamlet decide at the end of the speech?

KING:

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.

Words without thoughts never to heaven go.

7. What do we learn about Claudius here? How is it ironic?