Question

hamlet
by william shakespeare
act 4, scene 3

shakespeares play hamlet is one of his most famous tragedies. hamlet, a young prince in denmark, learns of his fathers death and his mothers marriage to his uncle, king claudius, the brother of his deceased father. during the play, he pretends to be insane, while contemplating life, death, and revenge. in this scene, king claudius questions hamlet as to the whereabouts of polonius, whom hamlet accidentally killed earlier.

another room in the castle.

(enter king claudius, attended)

king claudius: i have sent to seek him, and to find the body.
how dangerous is it that this man goes loose!
yet must not we put the strong law on him:
hes loved of the distracted multitude,
who like not in their judgment, but their eyes;
and where tis so, the offenders scourge is weighd,
but never the offence. to bear all smooth and even,
this sudden sending him away must seem
deliberate pause: diseases desperate grown
by desperate appliance are relieved.

select the correct text in the passage.

which excerpt provides the best evidence that hamlet believes king claudius is an immoral person?

hamlet: nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar.
(35) king claudius: where is polonius?
hamlet: in heaven; send hither to see: if your messenger find him not there, seek him i the other place yourself. but indeed, if you find him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up the (40) stairs into the lobby.

Explanation:

Analyze the question and context

The question asks to select the excerpt from the passage that provides the best evidence that Hamlet believes King Claudius is an immoral person.

Evaluate the available excerpts

1. "Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar."

This excerpt comments on the mortality and physical decay of kings, showing that a king is no better than a beggar in death, but does not directly target Claudius's moral character or destination in the afterlife.

1. "In heaven; send hither to see: if your messenger find him not there, seek him i' the other place yourself."

In this excerpt, Hamlet tells Claudius to look for Polonius in heaven, but if he is not there, Claudius should seek him in "the other place" (hell) himself. By telling Claudius to go to hell to look for Polonius, Hamlet directly implies that Claudius is a sinner destined for hell, which is the strongest evidence of Hamlet's belief in Claudius's immorality.

Formulate the final selection

The best evidence is: "if your messenger find him not there, seek him i' the other place yourself."

Answer:

Which excerpt provides the best evidence that Hamlet believes King Claudius is an immoral person?

HAMLET: Nothing but to show you how a king may go a
progress through the guts of a beggar.
(35) KING CLAUDIUS: Where is Polonius?
HAMLET: In heaven; send hither to see: if your messenger
find him not there, <blank>seek him i' the other place
yourself</blank>. But indeed, if you find him not within
this month, you shall nose him as you go up the
(40) stairs into the lobby.