Claudius' Soliloquy in Hamlet Act 3 Scene 3 - Essay Example

es his feelings of guilt immediately in his soliloquy, grieving about what he had done and referring to the murder of one’s brother as the world’s oldest sin. Longing for forgiveness, He is, however, unprepared to yield what the murder had gained him, particularly the queen and the crown and falls, on his knees, to pray. Hamlet enters quietly at this point prepared to kill Claudius, although he stops to allow him finish praying so that his sins could be forgiven, and his soul received in heaven.

He, however, leaves after deciding to kill the king as he sinned; following which Claudius is unable to pray and stands up, saying, “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below” (Shakespeare, 2011). Contrary to the demeanor of composure that is portrayed in the entire play, King Claudius is characterized in this soliloquy as vulnerable, especially as he prays. In the entire play, the king maintains a mind-set, which is greedy and power hungry, as well as restrained. However, as he tries to seek repentance for his sins against his brother old King Hamlet, Shakespeare is able to explore King Claudius’ guilt and acceptance of what he had done.

This proves to be one of the play’s significant plots as it aids in the building of a bitter relationship between Claudius and Hamlet. This soliloquy allows the audience to realize that Claudius had killed the old King Hamlet. As with all plays by Shakespeare, it is necessary to have a powerful antagonist to create a foil for the protagonist. This is important to keep the attention of the audience. King Claudius’ character is a perfect fit for the role of antagonist. He is portrayed as a manipulative and cold man who is also at times repulsive.

During the soliloquy, King Claudius prays and admits to committing murder against his brother and exclaiming “O, my offence is rank” (Shakespeare, 2011), which shows his realization about his action’s brutal character. However, he is still not totally penitent about what he had