Hamlet is not the just character in Shakespeare'southward play who offers us a soliloquy. Claudius, Hamlet's uncle and the murderer of Village's father (Claudius' own brother), also gives united states a detailed insight into his thoughts, for the beginning time, in this private moment as he goes to pray in Act Iii Scene 3 of Shakespeare's play. 'O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven' definitively confirms Claudius' guilt for the starting time time in Hamlet. For this reason, amidst several others, it's worth stopping to analyse 'O, my offence is rank' in terms of its language and meaning. We'll offer an analysis by summarising the soliloquy line-past-line, glossing whatever words that require it.

O, my offence is rank: it smells to heaven;
It hath the cardinal eldest curse upon't,
A blood brother's murder. Pray can I not,
Though inclination be equally sharp as volition:
My stronger guilt defeats my potent intent;

Claudius begins his soliloquy past describing his 'offence' – killing his brother, Old Hamlet – as 'rank', i.e. foul-smelling and offensive. His crime is the very first murder in the Bible: Cain's murder of his brother Abel, from the volume of Genesis, and the subsequent expletive placed upon mankind. Claudius, now he is alone, tries to pray; it'south interesting that Shakespeare uses the soliloquy here as a kind of 'prayer' or confession to us, the audience, in the absence of Claudius' ability to confess to God. Claudius wants to be able to pray, but his guilt is and so neat that he'due south afraid even to accost God, given the weight of his law-breaking. As the editors of Hamlet (The Arden Shakespeare, Tertiary Series) point out, information technology's curious that Claudius talks in Christian terms nearly his 'offence', singular: as well equally murder, he is also guilty of incest, since the Bible forbade a human to marry his brother'due south widow, since in Christian terms Gertrude is already his kin.

And, similar a man to double business concern spring,
I stand in pause where I shall showtime begin,
And both neglect. What if this cursed mitt
Were thicker than itself with brother's blood,
Is there non rain enough in the sweet heavens
To wash it white equally snowfall?

Claudius' trouble is that he has ii tasks to undertake, and the two are incompatible: he wants to beg forgiveness for his law-breaking, just he isn't truly sorry for it (he enjoys being King, and existence married to Gertrude, his blood brother's widow). So he finds himself at an impasse. His side by side lines – a rhetorical question – seems to be of a sort with Macbeth'south famous question ('Will all corking Neptune's bounding main wash this blood / Make clean from my hand?'). Only given the context of Claudius' words, they invite a more than nuanced analysis. Claudius is lamenting that his guilt may be also great to be forgiven; only he's also giving himself a mode out. (In other words, 'Well, I'm non going to exist forgiven for such a sin, so what'due south the bespeak in even pretending to be sorry? I'm clearly non.') This ambivalence is possibly reflected in Claudius' option of mitt-washing as a metaphor for his state of mind: it conveys both the idea of absolving oneself of guilt and washing one'south easily of something, i.e. abandoning it.

Whereto serves mercy
Just to face up the visage of offence?
In other words, what is the point of mercy if it doesn't confront guilt itself?
And what'southward in prayer but this two-fold force,
To exist forestalled ere we come up to autumn,
Or pardon'd being downward?

That is, the purpose of prayer is either to forestall us from committing a sin before we exercise information technology, or to forgive united states of america subsequently we've already washed it.

So I'll await up;
My mistake is past. Merely, O, what course of prayer
Tin serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder'?

Claudius knows that words are insufficient to beg forgiveness of the murder of his own brother.

That cannot be; since I am nonetheless possess'd
Of those effects for which I did the murder,
My crown, mine ain ambition and my queen.

'Well, God isn't going to be convinced by my plea for forgiveness, when I haven't given up all the worldly benefits I've accrued as a result of my crime: I'm king, I'thou notwithstanding ambitious to rule more lands, and I accept Gertrude, who I still share a bed with, subsequently all.'

May one be pardon'd and retain the offence?

Is it fifty-fifty possible for us to be forgiven for something while nosotros hold on to the fruits of our crimes?

In the corrupted currents of this globe
Offence's gilded manus may shove by justice,
And ofttimes 'tis seen the wicked prize itself
Buys out the police force: but 'tis not so to a higher place;

In the world, which is corrupted, many criminals can apply wealth ('gilded hand') to make sure they don't suffer punishment for their crimes. Only yous can't practice this with God, who tin't be 'bought' like this.

In that location is no shuffling, there the activeness lies
In his truthful nature; and we ourselves compell'd,
Fifty-fifty to the teeth and brow of our faults,
To give in show. What then? what rests?

No, earlier God we ourselves get our ain worst witness, having to testify or give evidence confronting ourselves.

Attempt what repentance can: what can it non?
Yet what can information technology when one can non repent?

A smashing couple of lines, which are chiastic in structure: you lot tin endeavour to apologize, only if your heart's non in it, God will know you're non sincere, so what'due south the point?

O wretched state! O bosom blackness as death!
O limed soul, that, struggling to be free,
Art more engaged! Help, angels! Make assay!
Bow, stubborn knees; and, center with strings of steel,
Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe!
All may be well.

NB: 'limed' means 'trapped', similar a bird trapped in birdlime (which was spread on the branches of copse). Claudius likens his immortal soul to a bird struggling on the sticky co-operative, and, knowing that it's trapped, struggles all the harder to be gratis.

'O, my offence is rank' is an important moment in Shakespeare'southward Village not just because it confirms Claudius' guilt – something we accept probably long suspected, despite Hamlet's fears over the veracity of the Ghost's account. It is important because Hamlet offers a picture of Claudius' country of heed, as someone 'sorry non sad', repentant withal unable to apologize. Claudius wants forgiveness because the weight of his sin is begetting down on him; but he is torn between spiritual absolution and worldly ambition and enjoyment. He doesn't desire to requite upwards Gertrude and the crown, even if it means the continued plight of his soul.