Claudius highlights the 'unholiness' of these crimes in his first private speech: King: O, my offence is rank. ... An important part of Hamlet's revenge is for Claudius to be perceived as the killer he really is. ... Hamlet knows that if he were to kill Claudius as an act of revenge, he would need society and the members of the court to question Claudius' innocence. Hamlet also needs to be sure that he is right in seeking revenge and if he could prove Claudius' guilt, Hamlet's revenge would not be treated as treason as it would be if Claudius was perceived ...

• Word Count: 1891
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School