Hamlet; ‘Now I might do it pat, now he is praying’, Act III, Scene iii, Hamlet 1902

Edwin Austin Abbey's "Hamlet; ‘Now I might do it pat, now he is praying’, Act III, Scene iii, Hamlet" (1902) is a watercolor painting that captures a dramatic scene from Shakespeare's play. The artwork depicts Hamlet, dressed in black and holding a dagger, observing his uncle, Claudius, praying. Claudius, cloaked in red, kneels in prayer, his head bowed in remorse. The use of contrasting colors, dark and light, highlights the internal conflict Hamlet experiences as he considers revenge against his uncle for the murder of his father. Abbey's detailed depiction of the characters and the setting, a shadowy and somber church, emphasizes the dramatic tension and psychological complexity of the scene.