Claudius's inner conflict is first expressed in his long
soliloquy in Act 3, shortly after the play within a play. He is clearly unsettled by
having just watched a performance of what he actually did to his brother, and his guilt
is getting to him. This soliloquy takes place in a chapel in the castle, and the speech
is almost an attempt at prayer.
Claudius knows that his
murder of his brother and the marriage to Gertrude are unholy acts. He opens the speech
by saying his "offense is rank, it smells to heaven." He goes on to say that while he
IS inclined to pray, he knows he really can't -- after all, what can he say that would
bring him God's forgiveness? He sarcastically suggests that he could say, "'Forgive me
my foul murder.'" But he knows how ludicrous that would be, and he understands why. In
the next line he states directly that he knows he can't be forgiven if he isn't willing
to give up the things he has gained from the crime: "my crown, mine own ambition, and
my queen." Even though he forces himself to kneel and tries to pray, the final words of
the scene reveal the reality. Claudius concludes, "My word fly up, my thoughts remain
below; words without thoughts never to heaven go." He can pray all he wants, but if he
doesn't really mean the words, he will never be forgiven for the crimes. His
conscience is in conflict with his earthly desires.
An
additional conflict he faces throughout Act 4 is doing what he thinks he has to do to
get rid of Hamlet, all the while pretending to love Hamlet so as to protect Gertrude's
feelings about both Claudius and Hamlet. Claudius doesn't want to do anything to anger
the people of Denmark or Gertrude, but he becomes more and more desperate to devise a
plan to kill Hamlet and end the threat he poses. He tries sending him to England; then
he wants England to kill Hamlet; and when that fails, he plots with Laertes to kill
Hamlet in revenge for Polonius's murder.
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