Hamlet, Act III, Scene 3

Hamlet
Act III, Scene 3

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A room in the castle.
Enter KING CLAUDIUS,
ROSENCRANTZ, and GUILDENSTERN

KING CLAUDIUS
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the castle, King Claudius is giving Rosencrantz and Guildenstern some orders.

I like him not, nor stands it safe with us
To let his madness range. Therefore prepare you;
I your commission will forthwith dispatch,
"I like him not," says Claudius. He is speaking of Hamlet, of course.

And he to England shall along with you:
The terms of our estate may not endure
Hazard so dangerous as doth hourly grow
Out of his lunacies.

GUILDENSTERN

He instructs them both to take Hamlet away to England, and quickly.

We will ourselves provide:
Most holy and religious fear it is
To keep those many many bodies safe
That live and feed upon your majesty.

ROSENCRANTZ
The single and peculiar life is bound,
With all the strength and armour of the mind,
To keep itself from noyance; but much more
That spirit upon whose weal depend and rest
The lives of many. The cease of majesty
Dies not alone; but, like a gulf, doth draw
What's near it with it: it is a massy wheel,
Fix'd on the summit of the highest mount,
To whose huge spokes ten thousand lesser things
Are mortised and adjoin'd; which, when it falls,
Each small annexment, petty consequence,
Attends the boisterous ruin. Never alone
Did the king sigh, but with a general groan.

KING CLAUDIUS
Arm you, I pray you, to this speedy voyage;
For we will fetters put upon this fear,
Which now goes too free-footed.

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN

We will haste us.

Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN

They agree, and they leave.

Enter POLONIUS

LORD POLONIUS

My lord, he's going to his mother's closet:
Polonius enters, and tells King Claudius that Hamlet is going to the Queen’s closet.

Behind the arras I'll convey myself,
To hear the process; and warrant she'll tax him home :
And, as you said, and wisely was it said,
'Tis meet that some more audience than a mother,
Since nature makes them partial, should o'erhear
The speech, of vantage. Fare you well, my liege:
I'll call upon you ere you go to bed,
And tell you what I know.

KING CLAUDIUS
Thanks, dear my lord.

Polonius explains that he shall hide inside, and listen in. This really must be some closet.

Exit POLONIUS

Left alone, King Claudius decides not to speak a soliloquy. Instead, he decides to pray.

O, my offence is rank it smells to heaven;
It hath the primal eldest curse upon't, He tries, but he simply cannot do it. Why? He explains that his “offense is rank, it smells to heaven.”

A brother's murder. Pray can I not,
Though inclination be as sharp as will:
My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent;
And, like a man to double business bound,
I stand in pause where I shall first begin,
And both neglect. 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 two-fold force ,
To be forestalled ere we come to fall,
Or pardon'd being down? Then I'll look up;
My fault is past. But, O, what form of prayer
King Claudius speaks (to himself) of how his faults are too great, and he is worried that he can never be forgiven for them.

Can serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder'?
That cannot be; since I am still possess'd
Of those effects for which I did the murder,
My crown, mine own ambition and my queen.
May one be pardon'd and retain the offence?
In the corrupted currents of this world
Offence's gilded hand may shove by justice,
And oft 'tis seen the wicked prize itself
Buys out the law: but 'tis not so above;
There is no shuffling, there the action lies
In his true nature; and we ourselves compell'd,
Even to the teeth and forehead of our faults,
To give in evidence. What then? What rests?
Try what repentance can: what can it not?
Yet what can it when one can not repent?
O wretched state! O bosom black as death!
O limed soul, that, struggling to be free,
Art more engaged! Help, angels! Make assay !
In line 55, he wonders if he should ask forgiveness aloud: “Forgive me my foul murder?”

Bow, stubborn knees; and, heart with strings of steel,
Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe!
All may be well.

Retires and kneels
He finally forces his aging knees to bend, and kneels on the floor, to try again.

Enter HAMLET

HAMLET

At this point, Hamlet happens to walk in.
Hamlet sees the kneeling man, and realizes that he has the perfect opportunity to kill the King.

Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;
And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven;
And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd:
A villain kills my father; and for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven.
O, this is hire and salary, not revenge.
He took my father grossly, full of bread;
With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May;
And how his audit stands who knows save heaven?
But in our circumstance and course of thought,
'Tis heavy with him: and am I then revenged,
To take him in the purging of his soul,
When he is fit and season'd for his passage?
No!
“Now might I do it, pat...” He does not say who this “Pat” is.
Then, he thinks better of it. “Now he is praying.” If Hamlet kills King Claudius while the King is praying, the King would be free of sin, and Hamlet would be sending the guy to heaven. What a dilemma.

Up, sword; and know thou a more horrid hent:
"Up sword," says Hamlet. The sword obeys.

When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,
Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed;
At gaming, swearing, or about some act
That has no relish of salvation in't;
Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,
And that his soul may be as damn 'd and black
As hell, whereto it goes. My mother stays:
This physic but prolongs thy sickly days.

Hamlet decides to wait until he is “drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed...” Or, maybe, all three. Now, that does conjure up some interesting images.

Exit

KING CLAUDIUS
[Rising]

Hamlet leaves, and the King rises.

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below:
Words without thoughts never to heaven go.

King Claudius then admits that he was not able to pray. His "words" flew up to Heaven. However, his thoughts did not go along for the ride.

Exit
The scene comes to a close.

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	You can listen to some music as you read. Click on the icon above. (You can also shut if off, if you find it annoying.)

Shakespeare for Scholars:	Shakespeare for Everyone Else:
A room in the castle. Enter KING CLAUDIUS, ROSENCRANTZ, and GUILDENSTERN KING CLAUDIUS	Meanwhile, elsewhere in the castle, King Claudius is giving Rosencrantz and Guildenstern some orders.
I like him not, nor stands it safe with us To let his madness range. Therefore prepare you; I your commission will forthwith dispatch,	"I like him not," says Claudius. He is speaking of Hamlet, of course.
And he to England shall along with you: The terms of our estate may not endure Hazard so dangerous as doth hourly grow Out of his lunacies. GUILDENSTERN	He instructs them both to take Hamlet away to England, and quickly.
We will ourselves provide: Most holy and religious fear it is To keep those many many bodies safe That live and feed upon your majesty. ROSENCRANTZ The single and peculiar life is bound, With all the strength and armour of the mind, To keep itself from noyance; but much more That spirit upon whose weal depend and rest The lives of many. The cease of majesty Dies not alone; but, like a gulf, doth draw What's near it with it: it is a massy wheel, Fix'd on the summit of the highest mount, To whose huge spokes ten thousand lesser things Are mortised and adjoin'd; which, when it falls, Each small annexment, petty consequence, Attends the boisterous ruin. Never alone Did the king sigh, but with a general groan. KING CLAUDIUS Arm you, I pray you, to this speedy voyage; For we will fetters put upon this fear, Which now goes too free-footed. ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN We will haste us. Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN	They agree, and they leave.
Enter POLONIUS
LORD POLONIUS
My lord, he's going to his mother's closet:	Polonius enters, and tells King Claudius that Hamlet is going to the Queen’s closet.
Behind the arras I'll convey myself, To hear the process; and warrant she'll tax him home : And, as you said, and wisely was it said, 'Tis meet that some more audience than a mother, Since nature makes them partial, should o'erhear The speech, of vantage. Fare you well, my liege: I'll call upon you ere you go to bed, And tell you what I know. KING CLAUDIUS Thanks, dear my lord.	Polonius explains that he shall hide inside, and listen in. This really must be some closet.
Exit POLONIUS
	Left alone, King Claudius decides not to speak a soliloquy. Instead, he decides to pray.
O, my offence is rank it smells to heaven; It hath the primal eldest curse upon't,	He tries, but he simply cannot do it. Why? He explains that his “offense is rank, it smells to heaven.”
A brother's murder. Pray can I not, Though inclination be as sharp as will: My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent; And, like a man to double business bound, I stand in pause where I shall first begin, And both neglect. 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 two-fold force , To be forestalled ere we come to fall, Or pardon'd being down? Then I'll look up; My fault is past. But, O, what form of prayer	King Claudius speaks (to himself) of how his faults are too great, and he is worried that he can never be forgiven for them.
Can serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder'? That cannot be; since I am still possess'd Of those effects for which I did the murder, My crown, mine own ambition and my queen. May one be pardon'd and retain the offence? In the corrupted currents of this world Offence's gilded hand may shove by justice, And oft 'tis seen the wicked prize itself Buys out the law: but 'tis not so above; There is no shuffling, there the action lies In his true nature; and we ourselves compell'd, Even to the teeth and forehead of our faults, To give in evidence. What then? What rests? Try what repentance can: what can it not? Yet what can it when one can not repent? O wretched state! O bosom black as death! O limed soul, that, struggling to be free, Art more engaged! Help, angels! Make assay !	In line 55, he wonders if he should ask forgiveness aloud: “Forgive me my foul murder?”
Bow, stubborn knees; and, heart with strings of steel, Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe! All may be well. Retires and kneels	He finally forces his aging knees to bend, and kneels on the floor, to try again.
Enter HAMLET HAMLET	At this point, Hamlet happens to walk in. Hamlet sees the kneeling man, and realizes that he has the perfect opportunity to kill the King.
Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven; And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd: A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven. O, this is hire and salary, not revenge. He took my father grossly, full of bread; With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May; And how his audit stands who knows save heaven? But in our circumstance and course of thought, 'Tis heavy with him: and am I then revenged, To take him in the purging of his soul, When he is fit and season'd for his passage? No!	“Now might I do it, pat...” He does not say who this “Pat” is. Then, he thinks better of it. “Now he is praying.” If Hamlet kills King Claudius while the King is praying, the King would be free of sin, and Hamlet would be sending the guy to heaven. What a dilemma.
Up, sword; and know thou a more horrid hent:	"Up sword," says Hamlet. The sword obeys.
When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed; At gaming, swearing, or about some act That has no relish of salvation in't; Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven, And that his soul may be as damn 'd and black As hell, whereto it goes. My mother stays: This physic but prolongs thy sickly days.	Hamlet decides to wait until he is “drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed...” Or, maybe, all three. Now, that does conjure up some interesting images.
Exit KING CLAUDIUS [Rising]	Hamlet leaves, and the King rises.
My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go.	King Claudius then admits that he was not able to pray. His "words" flew up to Heaven. However, his thoughts did not go along for the ride.
Exit	The scene comes to a close.