ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

FAMOUS PLAYWRIGHT POET AND OTHERS

HAMLET

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
What is revealed by Claudius’s soliloquy, beginning with ‘O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven’?
A
Claudius is plotting to kill Gertrude
B
Claudius will send Hamlet to England
C
Claudius murdered the old king
D
Claudius believes Hamlet is the king’s murderer
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -’O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven’ definitively confirms Claudius’ guilt for the first time in Hamlet.

Detailed explanation-2: -Claudius kneels before his private alter and confesses to God that he murdered his brother. He admits that this act is unforgivable but he is unwilling to relinquish his new found power and position.

Detailed explanation-3: -O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven For the first time, Claudius admits his guilt in murdering Old Hamlet. Without this scene, we would always be unsure about the ghost’s story.

Detailed explanation-4: -I can’t pray, even though I desperately want to, the strength of my guilt defeats the strength of my intention. And, like someone who can’t decide which of two actions to make, I stand here unable to do anything. So if I am guilty of this crime, is there not enough forgiveness in the heavens to make me free of it?

Detailed explanation-5: -Left alone, Claudius reveals his remorse for killing his brother, and he tries to pray. Hamlet comes upon him kneeling and draws his sword, but then stops to think that if he kills Claudius at prayer, Claudius will go to heaven.

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