This list of Shakespeare plays brings together all 38 plays in alphabetical order. The choice of the adjective "dull" reminds the audience of what the ghost told him in Act I. To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. (11. With this slaves offal bloody, bawdy villain, How on earth can this player draw emotion at his own will? Was he a coward? Region Kites: All the Kites (Eagle-like birds) of the region If a do blench I'll watch him closely. Give first admittance to th' ambassadors. If you show me your heavy shoulder. And I am left to think that I am just a wimp, a coward and weak. Hamlet, Part 3: Figurative Language and Allus, Hamlet, part 4: Comparing and contrasting int, Hamlet, Part 4: Comparing and Contrasting Int, Hamlet, Part 5: Characteristics of Elizabetha, The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Edge Reading, Writing and Language: Level C, David W. Moore, Deborah Short, Michael W. Smith. I cannot dream of. Ill have these players Whats Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, Before my daughter told me what might you, Or my dear majesty your queen here, think. Or looked upon this love with idle sight. But Sarah, is Shakespeare explicitly echoing his earlier use of the word here? Tweaks me by the nose? Latest answer posted November 19, 2020 at 1:33:52 PM. Look at that Actor, who, in a performance so moving, wept and moved us allin grief for Hecuba, a woman he never met nor knew because shes been dead for a thousand years. Onespeech in it I. chiefly loved: 'twas Aeneas' tale to Dido. Words without thoughts never to heaven go. The Hamlets of Olivier, Redgrave and David Warner, to name but three, are all entirely different, but all of them made for effective theatre. More relative than this: the play s the thing Tweaks me by the nose? He peaks, i.e. Tears in his eyes, distraction ins aspect, Wait. RALPH: In other words, he is not full of, or pregnant with, motivation or resources. Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face, Tweaks me by th' nose, gives me the lie i'th' throat. If you want to be able to take the next step and actually perform Shakespeare, reading and understanding the given circumstances and language is the first step on the journey. If Claudius merely turns pale, Hamlet will take that as a sign that his uncle is guilty. There he is. The actors portraying them show just how messed up their lives are. In telling the story of a fatally indecisive character's inability to choose the proper course to avenge his father's death, Hamlet explores questions of fate versus free will, whether it is better to act decisively or let nature take its course, and ultimately if anything we do in our time on earth makes any difference. Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell. Shakespeare utilizes a simile to compare Hamlet to "John-a-dreams" or one who only dreams and never takes action. But in a fiction, in a dream of passion, What would that actor do if he had the motive and the reason for grief that he had? Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, And can say nothingno, not for a king, Upon whose property and most dear life. A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak, The decision to present the play seems to put Hamlet that much closer to actually revenging his father's death instead of just talking about it. Twists my nose, calls me a liar? The best way to offer an analysis of this soliloquy is perhaps to go through the speech line by line and offer a summary of what Hamlet is saying. And all for nothing for Hecuba! Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894 John-a-Droynes John He concludes that he is pigeon-livered and lacks gall -- both suggesting that he is, in fact, a coward. To kill my uncle when he is innocent. To recap for those of you familiar with the story of Hamlet, this soliloquy, beginning O what a rogue and peasant slave am I (Hows that for self talk? It was against your highness whereat (grieved. Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause And, he wonders if he is a coward since he cannot work up enough passion, And can say nothing; no, not for a king ..Am I a coward?. When the wind is. Before mine uncle: Ill observe his looks; The idea of it is to try and get across the feeling and language of Hamlets soliloquy in a way thats easy to understand in modern parlance. Pray you, no more. What Polonius is describing is the emotion which has welled up in the actors eyes due to his performance. Who calls me villain? Wherein Ill catch the conscience of the king. For the satirical rogue says here that. How do you interpret the last scene? Ill tent him to the quick. If it will please you, Your visitation shall receive such thanks. Here well be unpacking the monologue, looking at how it sits in the play and for this character, and talk about how we may best be able to perform it. D. Hamlet admires Pyrrhus and wants to follow his example. Scullion: A servant assigned the most menial tasks Ill observe his looks, So much as from occasion you may glean. Required fields are marked *. Good luck to "killing your uncle" Hamlet. He would drown the stage with tears. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Fie upont, foh! A broken voice, and his whole function suiting They erupt out of a boiling over of emotion and a desperation to be left alone. Of course, this O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! speech is also slightly unfair on Hamlet, too, and it goes to the core of what Hamlets delay in the play really signifies. That he's mad, 'tis true: 'tis true 'tis pity. He would get the players to perform something like the murder of his father in front of his uncle. He thinks, "Yet I, a dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak, Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, and can say nothing; no, not for a king, upon whose property and the dearest life, a damn'd defeat was made, am I a coward? You are welcome, masters, welcome all. That I, the son of a dear father murder'd, A damn'd defeat was made. Ok, I need to get myself together. Unpregnant: In this case, Hamlet is not carrying the cause which has been thrust upon him: Revenge. Thyself do grace to them and bring them in. Osric, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern | Hamlet settings | Hamlet themes| Hamlet in modern English | Hamlet full text | Modern Hamlet ebook | Hamlet for kids ebooks | Hamlet quotes | Hamlet quote translations | Hamlet monologues | Hamlet soliloquies | Hamlet performance history | All about To Be Or Not To Be. I will be copying and sticking it into my commonplace book to come back to later. That guilty creatures sitting at a play At the start of the meeting_____, breakfast was served. Must (like a whore) unpack my heart with words He is fully aware that he is not acting! By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University). He sat for a moment and an idea that had occurred to him while talking to the actors began to take shape. 'Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be He wants solutions. . More relative than this: the play's the thing No. Your email address will not be published. They have proclaimd their malefactions; Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be The Secret Library: A Book-Lovers Journey Through Curiosities of History, The Great War, The Waste Land and the Modernist Long Poem. What's the meaning of this quote from Hamlet: "We're oft to blame and this is just too much proved that with devotion's visage and pious action we do sugar o'er the Devil himself"? Wherein Ill catch the conscience of the king. He is a villain. For the. Ay, that they do, my lord, Hercules and his load. For Hecuba! By'r lady, your ladyship is nearer, heaventhan when I saw you last, by the altitude of a, Pray God your voice, like a piece of uncurrent gold, be not, anything we see. old men have gray beards, that their faces are wrinkled, and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it, hits on, which reason and sanity could not so prosperously, You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will more. Murder does not speak but killers do and King Claudius should. I need better evidence than the ghost to work with. He tells me, my sweet queen, that he has found. ], [As Polonius rushes up to give Hamlet the news of the actors' arrival, Hamlet pretends to be in the middle of a conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern]. :). Polonius arrives with the ambassador Voltemand in tow, both bearing good news. Have by the very cunning of the scene What would he do, RALPH: A person's mettle is their ability to cope with difficulties with resilience. My personal favorite speech in the play, particularly the For Hecuba section, which says so much to me about how art can impact us in such a way that it illuminates parts of our lives we have not apprehended. His father's death and our o'erhasty marriage. Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell. What would he do, Hamlet, written by English dramatist, William Shakesphere, tells the story of a grief stricken young man who returns home from college only to find that his father is dead, and his mother is now married to his father's brother, Claudius. Fie upont, foh! Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, And can say nothing no, not for a king Upon whose property and most dear life A damned defeat was made. He sat down again. Is it a happy ending? Shakespeare: Hamlet ii. Muddymettled: Having a dull spirit Could force his soul so to his own conceit Hamlet concedes that he feels such taunts are justified, and he should take them, for the fact must be faced that he is coward lacking the courage to make the oppression (i.e. Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, And can say nothingno, not for a king, . The spirit that I have seen A made-up script of passion! 'Tis well. But my uncle-father and, I am but mad north-northwest. He says he is unpregnant, meaning he is not full of life or action for his cause which is to avenge his father's murder. He then hatches a plan: hell have the actors stage a play with a plot similar to the kings murder. Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave. Are we supposed to associate Hamlet's pregnant replies with his being unpregnant of his cause? He said I was a, fishmonger. Trust the words Shakespeare has written for you and allow yourself to be taken wherever it may lead you. He is the author of, among others,The Secret Library: A Book-Lovers Journey Through Curiosities of HistoryandThe Great War, The Waste Land and the Modernist Long Poem. A scullion! 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Framing Ophelia: Representation and the Pictorial Tradition, Grinning Death's-Head: Hamlet and the Vision of the Grotesque, Mourning and Misogyny: Hamlet, The Revenger's Tragedy, and the Final Progress of Elizabeth I, 1600-1607, Nobler in the Mind: The Dialect in Hamlet, The 'Heart of My Mystery': Hamlet and Secrets, The First Quarto of Hamlet: Reforming Widow Gertred. For, by my fay, I cannot reason. The actor performs a piece for him (Hamlet gives it the title Aeneas tale to Dido ) about Priam and his wife, Hecuba, taken from The Iliad of Greek Myth. Why, then your ambition makes it one. Who calls me villain, breaks my pate across, A damnd defeat was made. Explore more amazing Hamlet Monologues! He feels there is no-one he can trust (maybe Ophelia but thats about to be tarnished too) and that he is completely inadequate for the task he must perform. A total of 595 episodes were taped at CFTO-TV Studios in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough , Ontario . . As deep as to the lungs? For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak Video Transcript: SARAH: When Hamlet says he peaks like a John-a-dreams, he means that he wanders around aimlessly like someone with his head in the clouds. Enter King, Queen, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, with others. youth, by the obligation of our ever-preserved love, and, I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation prevent, your discovery, and your secrecy to the King and, I knownot, lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of, exercise, andindeed it goes so heavily with my, disposition that thisgoodly frame, the earth, seems. T'assume a pleasing shape, yea, and perhaps. Replies welcome! They have proclaimed their malefactions. Oh, vengeance! Abuses me to damn me: Ill have grounds We'll have a speech straight. O that this too too solid flesh would melt. if this isn't it,then stay by my side. They mean Hamlet when they say he. Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, Yet Hamlet, a coward and dreamer when it comes to taking action And can say nothing; no, not for a king, Upon whose property and most dear life A damn'd defeat was made. I should have fatted all the region kites. Hamlet hatches his plan to determine Claudius guilt: he has heard that sometimes guilty people are so moved by seeing similar crimes to the ones theyve committed acted out before them that they will confess everything there and then. Plucks the hairs from my bears and blows them in my face as a challenge? Why, what an ass am I! Before mine uncle. 'Gainst Fortune's state would treason have pronounced! Voltemand tells Claudius that the King of Norway has put a stop to Prince Fortinbras threats, and Fortinbras has vowed not to attack Denmark. Curse it! What i just saw, so moved me to behave like this.that if the guilty party, the King my Uncle were to see a play that mirrored his crime, he would betray himself as the murderer I suspect him to be. wards, and dungeons, Denmark being one o'th' worst. Now I am alone. Polonius uses it to refer to Hamlet's strange replies to his questions and there, we saw that Shakespeare used it figuratively to mean that Hamlet's words were full of hidden meaning. And that is the thing in which I caught the conscience of the Prince! Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face? D. The metaphors emphasize Hamlet's state of depression. May be the devil: and the devil hath power, The ghost I saw may be the devil disguised as my father. Play something like the murder of my father That he should weep for her? Enjoyed our breakdown of Hamlet Act 2 Scene 2? This is most brave, Tweaks: Twist or pull sharply A Short Analysis of Hamlet's 'O, . The prince meets with a group of theatrical performers and eventually decides to use them to prove Claudiuss guilt. Yet I, A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak, It shows Hamlet's willpower. His heart was beating fast and he was almost breathless from the thoughts that were plaguing him. As you do this, be aware of these questions: Is the writer keeping you in suspense? Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, cruel villain! The leader of a traveling theater troupe. Hamlets soliloquy comes in act 2 scene 2 of Hamlet, shortly after he has spoken with the players or actors, and just before he hatches his fiendish plan to try to determine the guilt of his uncle (which he comes up with towards the end of the soliloquy). This guy needs some therapy STAT) comes at the end of a huge scene for the actor playing Hamlet. Draw a vertical line between the complete subject and the complete predicate in the sentence Sunday is the center of our solar system. is the founder of StageMilk. At this moment, something has happened for Hamlet. Of all the online explanations/translations of this soliloquy, this is by far the best. One reason is that we are curious. He feels as though someone is accusing him of being a villain for failing to avenge his fathers death. Hamlet wonders what the actor would do if he were him. Out of my weakness and my melancholy, Hamlet, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Character Interview: Hamlet, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He opens the speech with a metaphor: "O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!" whose dear life was stolen from him. Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face? Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king. That from her working all his visage wannd, 484-486) But for the example of Pyrrhus, it would have been far easier to agree with Hamlet's estimate of John-a-dreams. Hecuba: Of Troy, wife to Priam and mother to Hector (2.2) Annotations. Oh, Rosencrantz! My good friends, I'll leave you till night. And can say nothing; no, not for a king, What will happen next? He has been tasked by heaven and hell to take revenge for the brutal and unjust killing of his Father, yet he has spent the last period of time stalling and procrastinating. The translation is a bit long, but thanks, it really does help a bit. Swounds , I should take it. Thus, "Like a dreamer, not thinking about my cause." Back to Soliloquy Annotations How to cite this article: Mabillard, Amanda. Yet I, Before mine uncle: Ill observe his looks; foh! This is consolidated in the simile "Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause" where Hamlet blatantly admits to inaction, cutting a self-deprecating image of himself. Pyrrhus at Priam drives, in rage strikes wide, Seeming to feel his blow, with flaming top. The plays the thing, all right: for Hamlet, acting (on a stage) rather than acting (i.e. Hamlet should have fatted himself with fortitude. Been struck so to the soul that presently It holds the actor marvellously, and fighting against this wave only causes problems. Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words, Whats Hecuba to him, or he to her, These are just some of the terms of abuse Hamlet throws about in this soliloquy. Ill have these players And fall a-cursing like a very drab, SARAH: It's possible, Ralph after all, in this monologue, Hamlet is contrasting his words to his actions. Have by the very cunning of the scene breaks my pate across? Is it not monstrous that this player here, So, the plot and action of the play picks up steam at the end of this soliloquy. 'Tis too narrow, Oh, God, I could be bounded in a nutshell and count, myselfa king of infinite space, were it not that I have, substanceof the ambitious is merely the shadow, Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy and light a quality, Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs and, outstretched heroes the beggars' shadows. Adieu. Pate: A persons head or cheek Am I a coward? Ascertaining Claudius guilt more empirically, by observing his face when the play is performed, will be more convincing grounds on which to condemn his uncle. Where are we? As deep as to the lungs? About, my brain! In To be or not to be, Hamlet is ruminating existentially, expressing his deepest and most intellectual pondering. Good night, sweet admirers of Shakespeare. We'll hear a play tomorrow. As the words which precede the speech, Now I am alone, indicate, Hamlet is about to launch into a soliloquy, in which he thinks out loud about his predicament. breaks my pate across? And fall a-cursing, like a very drab, Yet I, A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak, Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, And can say nothing; no, not for a king, Upon whose property and most dear life A damn'd defeat was made. Is it your own, for and there is a kind of confession in your looks, which. I should ha fatted all the region kites Am I a coward? Damn it! That I, the son of a dear father murderd, That I, the son of a dear father murderd, Blessed am I that this soliloquy I can understand. They have one word in common that appears nowhere else in the play! Am I a coward? To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps gives me the lie i' the throat, As deep as to the lungs? Ill tent him to the quick: if he but blench, Must like a whore unpack my heart with words Who is paying this dude for his acting skills? B. Your email address will not be published. And sure I am, two men there are not living, To whom he more adheres. Does Gregors life achieve meaning because he sacrifices himself for the familys greater good? They hatch a plan to figure out whats really going on: Polonius will send Ophelia to talk to the mad Hamlet and prove once and for all that hes crazy with love. Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, And can say nothing; no, not for a king, Upon whose property and most dear life A damn'd defeat was made. O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!: so exclaims Hamlet in one of his more despairing soliloquies in Shakespeares play. They arent referring to the actor. Latest answer posted December 25, 2020 at 10:45:45 AM. Who maintains 'em? Act II, scene ii. Had he the motive and the cue for passion At the start of a story, a writer sets up a situation that raises a lot of questions. As deep as to the lungs? Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face? With this slaves offal: bloody, bawdy villain! Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed, You know sometimes he walks four hours together, Ay, sir, to be honest as this world goes is to be, For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a, daughter, yet he knew me not at first. No doubt the NoSweatShakespeare translation doesnt stack up to Shakespeares original! To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather. How did the National Security Council characterize Soviet policy? Play something like the murder of my father Of course, all of the things mentioned above also add to the audience's understanding of Hamlet. Connect: In this passage John repeats an idea from earlier in the story: It is "better to lose one's life than one's spirit." Wanned: To grow or become pale or sickly He stood up and paced. Which statement best explains why Hamlet alludes to Pyrrhus throughout Act II, Scene ii of Hamlet? Promptly Hamlet shoos and dismisses the people around him, and finally he has a moment alone to process all which has just happened and this moving performance, and how that reflects on him and his delayed vengeance for his Father. Mad call I it, for to define true madness. Oh, he would drown the stage in tears and burst the eardrums of the audience with terrible words, Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, What do you think will happen next? I always enjoy these posts: they throw light on what might seem at first dense texts in a clear and entertaining way. O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! With this slave's offal: bloody, bawdy villain! That I, the son of a dear father murdered, That from her working all the visage wanned Not even for his father, who was a king (Old Hamlet murdered by his brother, Claudius), can Hamlet speak out and tell the truth, even though Claudius defeated Old Hamlet of his life by killing him. And fall a-cursing, like a very drab, Before mine uncle: I'll have these actors perform something like my father's murder in front of King Claudius. O, vengeance! Am I a coward? The idea crystallized. Each month we work on scenes and monologues with a beautiful, supportive, inspiring group of actors. :D but thanks alot! Analysis Key Ideas and Commentary Style, Form, and Literary Elements . Yet I,A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak,Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,And can say nothing; no, not for a king,Upon whose property and most dear life A damn'd defeat was made. Hum Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, And can say nothing; no, not for a king, Upon whose property and most dear life A damn'd defeat was made. Tweaks me by the nose? May be the devil: and the devil hath power What does this allusion suggest? But I am pigeon-liver'd and lack gall, Yes you finally admit that you don't have courage, To make oppression bitter, or ere this Thank You for teaching us through Scripture the value You place on life. Dude. The very faculty of eyes and ears. He later says that he is "a dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak(ing) like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause." Cannot take enough action to avenge his daddy Oh, most true, she is. He had to concentrate on it now. You go to seek the Lord Hamlet? Unpregnant of their cause, both flee a supervened romance scenario of eros-induced nemesis and take shelter in a studied mode of kenosis or performed destitution. Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face? Is it not obvious?Think harder that, there is no room for guilt at this moment. So weak that I just think and talk about the most horrible crime that I have been charged by heaven and hell to avenge. I need your mind. Hamlet has been observed and scrutinised by everyone around him. Whats Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, What, are they children? Claudius and Gertrude are worried about Hamlet, whos been acting crazy in court, so they dispatch Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on him. Ill have these players The actor must perform well, because Polonius, who has already complained about the acting being boring, has been deeply moved by this piece about Hecuba, stating, Look, where he has not turned his colour and has tears ins eyes. Hamlet now contrasts the deeply felt (fabricated) emotion of this superlative actor with his own (real) resolve: he is a rascal whose mettle or courage is like mud, weak and wet. Is Hamlet not condemning and criticizing his own inaction and his loss of passion for which the Ghost later criticizes him? Abuses me to damn me: I'll have grounds And can say nothing No, not even for a King . If he had done so, all of the kites (birds of prey) in the region would have fed on Claudius internal organs. Out of my weakness and my melancholy, That spirit might have taken advantage of my weakness and sorrow to bring out my frustration, As he is very potent with such spirits, Upon whose property and most dear life Am I a coward? With most miraculous organ. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. What have you, mygood friends, deserved at, the hands of Fortune that shesends you to prison. Claudius and Gertrude fret over Hamlets behavior, while Hamlet launches a plot to prove Claudiuss guilt. Why didn't Hamlet kill Claudius when he had the chance at the end of act 3, scene 3? A blanket in th' alarum of fear caught up. He would bewilder the ignorant and amaze the eyes and ears of all. Abuses me to damn me: Ill have grounds So: Act 2, Scene 2. He exclaims in one of his soliloquy, "Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause And can say nothing- no, not for a king Upon whose property and most dear life A damned defeat was made" (II.ii.595-598), feeling guilty and remorseful for not yet acting on his impulse for revenge. gives me the lie i the throat, By staging this play and watching my uncle, I will know the truth. As he is very potent with such spirits, to commit murder. A damned defeat was made. shrinking away from his duty like a John-o-dreams? Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, And can say nothingno, not for a king, Upon whose property and most dear life A damned defeat was made. O, vengeance! Here is calls himself a day-dreamer who is caught up in thoughts and not action. Look into all the three soliloquys in HAMLET. In this speech the actor depicts the murder of a man and his wife (Hecubas) reaction to the mans slaughter. Well, as is ALWAYs advised with any monologue, but particularly in Shakespeare, now is the time for you to read the play if you havent already. He would flood the stage with tears and split the ears of the audience with the language he would find, terrifying the innocent and making the guilty mad. : An exclamation, meaning essentially, Damn it! When done well, this soliloquy takes the actor along an energetic ride like a wave. Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed A disgusting, remorseless, treacherous, lecherous unkind villain. He could be the devil in disguise. Could force his soul so to his own conceit The Elder Hamlet: The Kingship of Hamlet's Father, The Death of Polonius and its Impact on Hamlet's Character, An Excuse for Doing Nothing: Hamlet's Delay, Shakespeare's Fools: The Grave-Diggers in, Hamlet's Humor: The Wit of Shakespeare's Prince of Denmark, Hamlet's Melancholy: The Transformation of the Prince. speaks of Priam's slaughter. this translation is utterly confusing. (gesture towards Hamlet) Blah Blah Ahh come on Hamlet, kill the dude and stop yapping! (2.2.555-612), Soliloquy well bestowed? Thus, Hamlet feels unmasculine, because he displays his insecurity of not taking any concrete action. Out of my weakness and my melancholy, Along with Rosencrantz, he is ordered by the king and queen to spy on Hamlet. Hamlet tries to kill Claudius three times. Wait. The play is what will help him get proof that Claudius is a killer.