Question

Which excerpts from Act III of Hamlet show that plot events have resulted in Claudius feeling guilty? Select 3 options.

Claudius: I like him not, nor stands it safe with us
To let his madness range.
Claudius: I your commission will forthwith dispatch,
And he to England shall along with you.
Claudius: A brother’s murder! Pray can I not,
Though inclination be as sharp as will:
Claudius: Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens
To wash it white as snow?
Claudius: But, O! what form of prayer
Can serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder?'

Answer 1

Claudius shows his guilt in Act III of Hamlet through his soliloquy about the murder of his brother, his desire for divine cleansing, and his inability to pray for forgiveness for his 'foul murder.'

Step-by-step explanation:

The excerpts from Act III of Hamlet that show Claudius feeling guilty are:

1. Claudius: A brother’s murder! Pray can I not, Though inclination be as sharp as will:
2. Claudius: Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens To wash it white as snow?
3. Claudius: But, O! what form of prayer Can serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder?'

These lines reveal the inner turmoil of King Claudius, as he grapples with the heinous act he has committed — the murder of his own brother, which has now led him to the throne. His inability to pray, despite his desire, his hope for divine cleansing, and the recognition of his 'foul murder' in his soliloquy, all demonstrate his troubled conscience and feelings of guilt.