Killing Claudius (was Killing Sirius)

[Amy Z]

On the main list, Catlady Rita wrote:

>It must be very convoluted to attribute Hamlet's staying his hand 
from
>killing Claudius to Conscience, as Hamlet's motive was not a 
queasiness
>about taking a human life, but rather was a desire to damn Claudius's
>soul as well as kill his body.

The line "thus conscience doth make cowards of us all" is from an 
earlier scene (Act III, Scene i) and refers not to murder but to 
suicide--the soliloquy is "To be or not to be."  Also, in 
Shakespeare's English "conscience" also meant "reflection, 
introspection," although I think the play on the more familiar meaning 
of "conscience" is intentional.

BTW, I do think Hamlet's conscience plays a role in his reluctance to 
kill Claudius, even though he claims in III, iii that it's revenge, 
not mercy, that keeps him from killing him as he prays.  

Amy Z