With a blast of a trumpet, Claudius, the new king of Denmark, and his wife Gertrude enter their cabin in the company of various courtiers, including Prince Hamlet, Claudius's assistant Polonius , and Polonius' son, Laertes. , and the ambassadors to Norway Voltemand and Cornelius. Claudius explains that he and Gertrude chose to marry immediately after his brother's death because, in the face of the invading Danish army, the court could not afford excessive grief lest young Fortinbras take his mourning for weakness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay He sends Voltemand and Cornelius to tell the young man's uncle Fortinbras about the young man's campaign against the Danes. As Claudius himself is, Fortinbras' uncle is the brother of the recently deceased king and now controls the throne. Claudius hopes that the old man will have the power to prevent Fortinbras from accomplishing his mission. Claudius then turns his attention to Laertes, who asks the king for permission to return to school in France. Claudius speaks with Polonius who responds verbally that he consents to Laertes' wish. After dismissing Laertes, the king and queen both notice Hamlet's somber attitude, and Hamlet mocks the king's loving posture. Gertrude and Claudius encourage him to stop crying and move on with his life. Gertrude asks Hamlet why he seems so particularly affected by his father's death, and Hamlet replies that, unlike his mother and her husband, he has no pretensions. “It looks like it, Madam?” No, it is.” Hamlet accuses Gertrude of pretending to suffer and rejoicing in the death of the old king. Claudius reminds Hamlet that he is next in line to the throne and asks him not to return to the Wittenberg school, a request which Gertrude repeats. Hamlet agrees without enthusiasm. Satisfied that they have succeeded, Claudius and Gertrude leave Hamlet to his own thoughts. In his first soliloquy, Hamlet laments the fact that he cannot commit suicide. He wishes that his physical self would cease to exist, "melt, / thaw, and resolve into dew." He complains that his religion forbids suicide and claims that he would rather die than continue to watch his mother indulge in her vile incest. These thoughts torment him, but he knows he cannot express them out loud to anyone. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Horatio, Marcellus and Barnardo enter and Hamlet, unattended with Horatio as with no one else, sarcastically jokes that King Claudius sought to save money by using the funeral refreshments to feed his guests at the marriage. He tells Horatio that the memory of his father haunts him. Horatio takes the opportunity to tell Hamlet about his encounter with the Ghost of the old king. Hamlet agrees to watch that night in case the ghost returns.