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Read the excerpt below and answer the question.

KING CLAUDIUS: Where is Polonius?

HAMLET: In heaven; send hither to see: if your messenger find him not there, seek him I’ the other place yourself.” (Hamlet; Act IV, scene iii)

Hamlet tells Claudius to search for Polonius in Hell because .

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Final answer:

Hamlet uses irony to suggest that Claudius, who himself is sinful, should search for Polonius in Hell, indirectly confessing to the murder of Polonius and highlighting themes of deception and guilt.

Step-by-step explanation:

Hamlet tells Claudius to search for Polonius in Hell because he is indirectly confessing to the murder of Polonius. The reference to heaven and hell in this context is Hamlet's sardonic suggestion that Claudius, being guilty of his own sins, would likely end up in hell should he die; thus, he should seek Polonius there on his own accord. Hamlet's response to Claudius is biting and filled with irony, as he both reveals and conceals the truth of Polonius's death. This excerpt exemplifies the thematic elements of deception, guilt, and the supernatural that permeate Shakespeare's Hamlet.

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