...queen. May one be pardoned and retain th' offense? In the corrupted currents of this world Offense's gilded hand may shove by justice, And oft 'tis seen...prize itself Buys out the law, but 'tis not so above: . . . My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go.9 Obviously...

...murder, — My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. May one be pardon'd and retain the offence? In the corrupted currents of this world Offence's...the action lies In his true nature; and we ourselves compcll'd. Even to the teeth and forehead of our faults, To give in evidence. What then? what rests?...

...stronger guilt defeats my strong intent" (3.3.38-40). Claudius here fears judgment in heaven, where the action lies In his true nature, and we ourselves...teeth and forehead of our faults To give in evidence. (3.3.61-64) He seems to realize that a corollary of his earlier belief that emotion is genuinely revealed...

...murder, — My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. May one be pardon'd and retain the offence? In the corrupted currents of this world Offence's...teeth and forehead of our faults, To give in evidence. What then? what rests? Try what repentance can: what can it not? Yet what can it when one can not repent?...

...did the murder: My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. May one be pardon'd and retain th'offence? In the corrupted currents of this world Offence's...the action lies In his true nature, and we ourselves compell' d, Even to the teeth and forehead of our faults, To give in evidence. What then? What rests?...

...he says. Before answering his own question, Claudius compares justice in this world and in the next: In the corrupted currents of this world Offence's...'tis seen the wicked prize itself Buys out the law. (3.3.57-60) In this world, it is possible to have things both ways. Justice can be bought, especially...

...clean, but cannot forsake the fruits of sin: his crown, his Gertrude. And yet he acknowledges quietly: In the corrupted currents of this world Offence's...the action lies In his true nature, and we ourselves compelFd Even to the truth and forehead of our faults To give in evidence. (3.3.60-4) This is an anticipation...

...the murder, My crown, mine own ambition, and my Queen. May one be pardoned and retalo th'offence ? In the corrupted currents of this world Offence's...prize itself Buys out the law. But 'tis not so above. M There is no shuffling. There the action lies la his true nature, and we ourselves compelled, Even...

...more extreme than that of the eminently sane Isabella or that of the praying Claudius who knew that In the corrupted currents of this world Offence's...'tis seen the wicked prize itself Buys out the law. Lest the audience should be tempted to dismiss what Lear says as mere raving, Shakespeare provides...

...murder — 55 My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. May one be pardon'd and retain th'offence? In the corrupted currents of this world Offence's...justice, And oft 'tis seen the wicked prize itself 6o Buys out the law. But 'tis not so above: There is no shuffling, there the action lies In his true...