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When Claudius says "O, my offense is rank, it smells to high heaven; / It hat the primal eldest curse upon't, / A brother's murder" to what curse is he referring?

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Final answer:

Claudius is referring to the biblical curse of Cain and Abel, acknowledging that his act of murdering his brother carries a grave, divine punishment.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Claudius refers to "my offense is rank, it smells to high heaven; It hath the primal eldest curse upon't, A brother's murder", he is alluding to the curse of Cain and Abel from the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, Cain commits the first murder by killing his brother Abel, and as a result, is cursed by God. Claudius invokes this curse, recognizing that in murdering his own brother, King Hamlet, he has committed a similarly grave sin and is now subject to divine punishment.

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