So we all know the the famous line "To be or not to be". And as Professor Sexson was saying in class this morning, we've heard about every rendition that anyone could come up with. The line that I find interesting how ever is the line right before that where Claudius's conscience is getting the better of him.
"How smart a last that speech doth give m conscience!
The harlot's cheek, beautied with plastering art,
is not more ugly to the thing that helps it
Than is my deed to my most painted word.
O heavy burden!"
With in this, the audience is given a tempted treat. It could go two ways: 1.) It is possible that what Scott was saying that Hamlet is just a raving lunatic (taking freedom with that one) and that he is over exaggerating the death of his father and that Claudius is just feeling guilty for the pain that the quick marriage to Hamlets mother is putting onto Hamlet. Or 2.) is that it is possible that Claudius really did kill his own brother and marrying his sister - in- law and becoming king to Denmark, and is living out a plot to take over the throne and create the diversion that Hamlet is the crazy one so that he would be put away and then he (Claudius) wouldn't have to deal with him again.
Either way the fact that Claudius feels guilty for something shows that he knows what he did, by marrying his brothers wife was probably not the smartest thing to have done so quickly.
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