For the first time in Hamlet, Claudius' guilt is definitely confirmed by the phrase "O, my crime is rotten, it reeks to heaven." Claudius begins his soliloquy by portraying his "offense," the murder of his brother, Old Hamlet, as "rank," that is, foul-smelling and repulsive. Then, changing his mind, he adds "it reeks to heaven"--that is, its stench reaches God. This line expresses Claudius' remorse for his sin. He realizes that his crime has terrible consequences, not only for him but also for everyone around him. It also shows that even though Claudius is a wicked man, he is not heartless. He knows that what he has done is wrong and he is sorry for it. Here are other descriptions of this famous quote from Shakespeare's play: "O, my offense is rank, it reeks to heaven; / I have no answer to make to that." Claudius says this after thinking about how his crime will be found out by everyone. He realizes that there is nothing he can do or say at this point to make things better so he just leaves it up to God whether or not he will be punished for his sins. Shakespeare uses language fluently and with precision, and this quote is no exception. It is simple and easy to understand because of its directness.