Re: First Hamlet Question to Think About -- Great Books II

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Date Posted: 14:35:26 02/17/08 Sun
Author: tsawyer
Subject: Re: First Hamlet Question to Think About
In reply to: John Klingner (my alias was made an offer he can't refuse) 's message, "Re: First Hamlet Question to Think About" on 21:08:29 02/14/08 Thu

Claudius makes the initial assumption that he can only achieve one of those two things - forgiveness or power (for lack of a better generalization) - but he does ask himself, "May one be pardoned and still retain th' offense?" (III.iii 56). In other words, he questions the necessity of relinquishing his position for his forgiveness. In reality, does the grace of God rely on the actions of a man or the state of his heart? Claudius' heart serves his desires, not God's. He never achieves a state of considering repentance because he is constantly thinking of himself in the temporary sense rather than the eternal sense.

Chances are that Shakespeare was familiar with Augustine's City of God.

As a bit of a tangent, one of the definitions for the word "offence" on the OED is "to doubt" as in an apostate. This brings another light to Claudius' question. He is then asking whether he can doubt (himself / God) and still be forgiven. Does belief alone merit mercy? Claudius seems to be asking himself far larger questions than he intends in this scene, or at least more broad than a brief reading would show...

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Re: First Hamlet Question to Think About -- Molly, 19:56:37 02/17/08 Sun