Cain's crime was committed over jealousy, as was Claudius's murder of King Hamlet. Claudius knows that he must be forgiven of his act in order to enter heaven, but he shows doubt that he can be forgiven fully for the act that he has committed. He doubts what his faith tells him, that if one asks for to be forgiven, then forgiveness is complete, without exception. When Claudius says,
"Forgive me my foul murder"?
That cannot be, since I am still possessed.
Of those effects for which I did the murder," (Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 3, lines 52-54).
As when Cain murdered Abel, although God may forgive Claudius, he will have to live with the consequences of what he has done for the rest of his life.
Claudius questions his ability to be forgiven for his sins. He pleads for forgiveness, but continues to have doubts as to whether true forgiveness can come for he acts that he has committed. He realizes that in order to achieve true forgiveness, he will have to take action and come clean with what he has done. He doubts his ability to be forgiven largely due to his own inability to take the actions that need to be taken in order to achieve full forgiveness. He does not feel that he will be able to confess his actions and come clean, even if it means jeopardizing his mortal soul. In hopeless desperation, he pleads for help from the angels in his quest for forgiveness.
A Worthy King?
Until the turning point in Act 3, Scene 3, Claudius appears to be the one most worthy to be king. He demonstrates the stereotypical actions that are expected of an Elizabethan king. By comparison, Hamlet appears too gentle to take on the duties and responsibilities that are required by one in the position of King. Hamlet appears too gentle and demure to make a strong leader. The Elizabethan mindset can accept a King who is slightly unscrupulous in the use of his power, as long as he does cross certain boundaries in his authority.
Claudius fits the stereotypical expectations...
However, in Act 3, Scene 3, he goes from hero to villain. The murder of a rightful King for the sake of one's own power and greed is not acceptable in the Elizabethan mindset. The audience, who was on his side up until this point, now begins to see him as a wrecked creature who has committed an unthinkable act. Hamlet's wish for revenge begins to seem justified.
Throughout the play, Claudius has been the great pretender, fooling everyone into thinking that his acts were justified and that he was the rightful ruler of Denmark. Support for his position waxed and waned. Some saw through his guise, while others were drawn into his lies. Until the reversal provided by Claudius's soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 3, if Hamlet had murdered Claudius it would have been deemed murderous and unjustified. Even Hamlet himself questioned whether his actions were true and just. However, when Hamlet overheard Claudius talking to God, his intentions were confirmed. He then gained somewhat of an approval from the audience.
Claudius' soliloquy can be considered one of the key turning points in the play. After this point, the audience realizes that Hamlet's actions may be justified, it not only by comparison to the acts that have been committed by Claudius. Hamlet is more assured of his actions, but he still needs to convince the other characters that his actions are justified. In the end, it does not matter who would have made the better King in the long-term, as both of them lose their lives for the sake of greed, lust, and revenge.
Works Cited
Alexander, Peter, ed. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. London and Glasgow: Collins,
1951. 1 vol.
Hirsch, E., Kett, J., and Trefil, J. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. 3rd. Ed. Boston, MA:
Houghton Mifflin Company. 2002. < http://bartleby.com/59/6/hamlet.html > Accessed
May 30, 2009.
Mercer, Peter. Hamlet and the Acting of Revenge. Iona…
