Hamlet: Claudis' Speech

-Shakespeare introduces Claudius' true character as a selfish man in his Act 1 speech. Hamlet is still mourning his father's death, while his uncle and now step-father wants Hamlet to be celebrating the recent marriage. Claudius states that it is natural for someone to loose their father, and therefore Hamlet should not still be mourning. He believes that Hamlet has been mourning for too long. He then commands Hamlet to stop mourning. Not only is Hamlet angered by this, but also by the fact that he was next in line to take the throne until Claudius married his mother, Gertrude. Claudius then goes on to tell Hamlet he loves him like a son, while also telling Hamlet he cannot study in Wittenberg because it conflicts with his (Claudius') desires. Through this speech, we see that Claudius is extremely selfish, and we also see the tension between Hamlet and Claudius.