Home > Q&A by Experts > Literature >
Q

What line from act 3 of Hamlet supports the conclusion that Claudius fears his own fate?

A

Claudius reveals his fears in the following lines of act 3, scene 3:

“What if this cursed hand
Were thicker than itself with brother’s blood
Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens
To wash it white as snow?”

His fears are connected to the murder of his brother and the consequent punishment he perceives as a real curse.

Detailed answer:

The fears of Claudius are conditional upon the awareness of his guilt. He awaits the curse to fall upon him as it seems to be a logical extension of killing his brother. At the same time, he still has a hope to escape this punishment. However, such an outcome does not seem to be possible, and the thoughts of its inevitability bother him.

Claudius can do nothing but pray in the chapel, unwilling to leave the hope for forgiveness. He is overcome with the thirst for power and the expressed remorse, and none of these feelings seem to win. This situation represents him as a man full of doubts despite the violence and decisiveness he demonstrated by the act of murder. In these lines, he seems to be a manipulative but weak person.

However, even remorse does not change the desire of Claudius to kill Hamlet. The risks are not only in losing power but also in losing his life. The manipulations of Claudius finally result in the expected outcome. This circumstance strengthens his thirst for power and puts aside any considerations of guilt and punishment, which usually follows. Nevertheless, such success is only temporary, and he will be punished for his actions.

Answer's rating:
Updated:
Ask your Question
(We won’t publish it)
Cite This page
You're welcome to use this expert's answer in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2024, August 20). What line from act 3 of Hamlet supports the conclusion that Claudius fears his own fate? https://ivypanda.com/q/what-line-from-act-3-of-hamlet-supports-the-conclusion-that-claudius-fears-his-own-fate/

Work Cited

"What line from act 3 of Hamlet supports the conclusion that Claudius fears his own fate?" IvyPanda, 20 Aug. 2024, ivypanda.com/q/what-line-from-act-3-of-hamlet-supports-the-conclusion-that-claudius-fears-his-own-fate/.

References

IvyPanda. (2024) 'What line from act 3 of Hamlet supports the conclusion that Claudius fears his own fate'. 20 August.

References

IvyPanda. 2024. "What line from act 3 of Hamlet supports the conclusion that Claudius fears his own fate?" August 20, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/q/what-line-from-act-3-of-hamlet-supports-the-conclusion-that-claudius-fears-his-own-fate/.

1. IvyPanda. "What line from act 3 of Hamlet supports the conclusion that Claudius fears his own fate?" August 20, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/q/what-line-from-act-3-of-hamlet-supports-the-conclusion-that-claudius-fears-his-own-fate/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "What line from act 3 of Hamlet supports the conclusion that Claudius fears his own fate?" August 20, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/q/what-line-from-act-3-of-hamlet-supports-the-conclusion-that-claudius-fears-his-own-fate/.

Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.