In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the topics of envy, greed and power are strong impulses that control the actions of the characters in the play. It focuses in presenting the vulnerabilities, treacheries, and changes that go with monarchic transitions in the Middle Ages, and the general feeling of uneasiness and dread that encompass them. Scenes 3 and 4 of Act 3 serve as important components and contain crucial factors that will help foreshadow an escalation of tension and conflict later on in the play.
In Scene 3, Act 3, Claudius recites a monologue to himself in the house of prayer, while Hamlet observes and debates whether to murder him or not. This speech is a defining moment in the play because Claudius admits for the first time of the homicide he committed, and feels remorse for his actions. The climate and mood of this speech pivots around admittance and regret.
In this scene, Claudius admits to killing his brother King Hamlet after acting as himself in a play created by Hamlet. ‘O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven.’ He referenced that his hands have been stained with his brother’s blood. This scene references the blood paintings and images present in Macbeth. Claudius says his petition and pardoning will not work since he is not eager to surrender the position of authority and queen. ‘I am still possessed of those effects for which I did the murder: My crown, mine own ambition and the queen.” He continually says the he is in a terrible circumstance.
Claudius also references in his monologue the tale of Abel and Cain. This tale tells the story of two brothers who give an offering to God. Cain later murders his brother Abel, for being God’s preferred sibling. He is condemned by God. “It hath the primal eldest curse upon it.” There is biblical allusion present in these lines, which implies that his actions were mostly impulsed and instigated by envy towards his brother, King Hamlet, for power and the throne.
‘O limed soul that, struggling to be free’, and ‘O bosom black as death!” Finally, Claudius finishes by imploring that everything should end up being positive, ‘All may be well.’
Claudius reveals a portion of his shrouded attributes amid his monologue. He has a specific measure of regret for his malicious deed, ‘O, my offense rank.’ Claudius is by all accounts fair with himself about himself not having the capacity to ask: ‘Pray can I not, Though inclination be as sharp as will, My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent.’
From the earliest starting point of the play, Claudius is not the sort of person to go pray at a congregation. It is conceivable that Claudius needs to accomplish something to influence him to be pardoned of the homicide of Old Hamlet. One of Claudius attributes is his capacity to assess himself.
This monologue is the main scene where Claudius concedes straightforwardly that he had killed Old Hamlet. After Claudius wrapped up his monologue, Hamlet strolls into the church and has a chance to slaughter Claudius. However, he ponders internally that why would he kill a man, while he repents his own sins.
Hamlet thought that the perfect moment to murder Claudius would be during an act of sin such as a moment of lust or wrath. This scene encompasses the Bible’s teachings that one will go to heaven if he or she repents one’s own sins. However, Claudius confirms that his prayer had no value at all. He states: “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go.”
Act 3, Scene 4 is one of the most important scenes in the play. In this scene, Hamlet wants his mom to feel disappointment in choosing Claudius over his own father. He requests that that she keeps away from Claudius’s bed.
Gertrude experiences a few conditions of feeling: she is haughty and hostile towards Hamlet during the beginning of the discussion. At that point, she is sure that Hamlet will hurt her, and is stunned and upset when Hamlet murders Polonius behind the tapestry. She also believes that Hamlet has reached a state of insanity after she sees him talking to nothing, while he himself claimed a ghostly appearance by his father was present.
Nevertheless, she becomes humble toward her son and becomes clearly ready to take his part and help him. For Gertrude, at that point, the scene advances as an arrangement of extraordinary stuns, every one of which debilitates her protection from Hamlet’s judgment of her conduct. Obviously, Gertrude is persuaded basically by Hamlet’s request and intensity of feeling.
One of Gertrude’s biggest flaws is her tendency to become persuaded and deceived by influential men and her requirement for men to demonstrate her what to think and how to feel. She has an amazing sense for self-conservation and progression that drives her to depend too profoundly on men. Not exclusively does this elucidation clarify her conduct all through a great part of the play, it also relates her specifically to Ophelia, the play’s other critical female character, who is additionally compliant and totally reliant on men.
Hamlet’s murder of Polonius is an imperative outline of his failure to facilitate his contemplations and actions, which may be viewed as his deplorable defect.
In his attentive mode, Hamlet is too assailed by good contemplations and vulnerabilities to avenge his dad’s passing by murdering Claudius. Knowing this common behavior demonstrated by Hamlet, when he chooses to act, he does as such indiscriminately, which led to the killing of Polonius. It seems as though Hamlet is so cautious in avoiding acting sanely that he trusts his vengeance is bound to happen as a mishap than as a planned demonstration.
When he sees Polonius’ dead body, Hamlet translates his offense inside the terms of requital, discipline, and retaliation: ‘Heaven hath pleased it so, to punish me with this, and this with me”. In spite of the fact that Hamlet has not accomplished his retribution upon Claudius, he trusts that God has utilized him as way of retaliation to punish Polonius’ wrong doings and punish Hamlet’s transgressions by tainting his spirit with the homicide.
