TEXT:
CLAUDIUS (continued)
May one be pardoned and retain the offence?
In the corrupted currents of this world
Offence's gilded hand may shove by justice,
And oft 'tis seen the wicked prize itself
Buys out the law: but 'tis not so above;
There is no shuffling, there the action lies
In his true nature; and we ourselves compelled,
Even to the 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?
O wretched state! O bosom black as death!
O limed soul, that, struggling to be free,
Art more engaged! Help, angels! Make assay!
Bow, stubborn knees; and, heart with strings of steel,
Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe!
All may be well.
Retires and kneels
NOTES:
Confession is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church - an opportunity for believers to confess their sins and receive absolution. In the aftermath of the English Reformation, a whole generation of former Catholics, forced to toe the new Protestant, Anglican line or face the consequences of heresy, lost the comfort of this particular sacrament. Claudius seems here to feel the loss, although his particular state is complicated by his lack of repentance. He is happy with what his crimes gained for him - and how can he repent them and still enjoy their benefits?
Birdlime
Around the world there are several versions of birdlime, a sticky substance concocted to spread out as a trap to catch birds. A popular European recipe is made from holly bark, boiled and reduced until it forms a sticky paste. Claudius’ vivid image is of a bird trapped in lime - the more the bird attempts to free itself, the more it becomes ensnared in the claggy mess.