Prayer and Repentance

William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

From “Hamlet,” Act III. Sc. 3.

The King.O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven;

It hath the primal eldest curse upon ’t,

A brother’s murder. Pray can I not,

Though inclination be as sharp as will:

My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent;

And, like a man to double business bound,

I stand in pause where I shall first begin,

And both neglect. What if this cursèd hand

Were thicker than itself with brother’s blood,

Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens

To wash it white as snow? Whereto serves mercy

But to confront the visage of offence?

And what ’s in prayer but this twofold force,

To be forestallèd ere we come to fall,

Or pardoned being down? Then I ’ll look up;

My fault is past. But, O, what form of prayer

Can serve my turn? “Forgive me my foul murder?”

That cannot be: since I am still possessed

Of those effects for which I did the murder,

My crown, mine own ambition and my queen.

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 ’t is seen the wicked prize itself

Buys out the law: but ’t is 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 cannot repent?

O wretched state! O bosom black as death!

O limèd 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 new-born babe!

All may be well.[Retires and kneels.]

*****

King(rising).My words fly up, my thoughts remain below;

Words without thoughts never to heaven go.