King Cladius: Close Reading - III.iii

Analyze how Shakespeare reveals Claudius’ inner conflict through literary devices, imagery, structure, and diction.

 
Part 1: Annotation 

• Students annotate the soliloquy for:
• Religious imagery
• References to corruption/decay
• Contrasts or paradoxes
• Rhetorical questions
• Emotional shifts
• References to kingship/power
• Words connected to guilt or forgiveness

In the Language

• lines that seem sincere
• lines that seem self-serving
• moments where Claudius contradicts himself

Part 2: Short Close Reading Response
How does Shakespeare use language and structure to reveal Claudius’ struggle between guilt and self-interest?

• use 2–3 quotations
• analyze specific word choices
• explain how the soliloquy changes from beginning to end
• discuss whether Claudius truly repents