GENESIS 4 offers the story of Cain, who killed his brother Abel out of jealousy and anger. In III, iii King Claudius surely recalls his reading of the Genesis account when he says, “O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven; / It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t, /A brother’s murder.” The “primal eldest curse” refers to the “mark on Cain” of GENESIS 4:15.
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