Claudius begins his soliloquy by referring to his "crime," the murder of his brother Old Hamlet, as "rank," or nasty and offensive-smelling.
His crime is the first murder recorded in the Bible, committed by Cain in the book of Genesis, which led to a curse being imposed on humanity. Now that he is alone himself, Claudius tries to pray; it's noteworthy to note that, in the absence of Claudius' ability to confess to God, Shakespeare employs the soliloquy in this scene as a sort of 'prayer' or confession to us, the audience. Claudius wishes he could pray, but the weight of his guilt prevents him from even thinking of approaching God.
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