With a trumpet blast, Claudius, the new king of Denmark, and his wife Gertrude enter their cabin in the company of several courtiers, including Prince Hamlet, Claudius' aide Polonius, Polonius' son Laertes, and the ambassadors to Norway Voltemand and Cornelius. Claudius explains that he and Gertrude chose to marry soon after his brother's death because, in light of the invading Danish army, the court could not afford undue grief for fear that young Fortinbras would mistake their mourning for weakness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Send Voltemand and Cornelius to tell young Fortinbras' uncle about the young man's campaign against the Danes. Since Claudius is himself, Fortinbras' uncle is the brother of the recently deceased king and now controls the throne. Claudio hopes that the old man has the power to prevent Fortinbras from completing his mission. Claudius then turns his attention to Laertes, who asks the king for permission to return to school in France. Claudius confers with Polonius who responds verbally that he acquiesces to Laertes' wish. After dismissing Laertes, the king and queen both notice Hamlet's dark behavior, and Hamlet sneers at the king's loving posture. Gertrude and Claudio encourage him to stop suffering and move on with life. Gertrude asks Hamlet why he seems so particularly affected by his father's death, and Hamlet responds by telling her that, unlike his mother and her husband, he has no pretensions. “Looks like it, ma'am? No, it is." Hamlet accuses Gertrude of feigning grief and rejoicing over the death of the old king. Claudius reminds Hamlet that he is the next heir to the throne and asks him not to return to school in Wittenberg, a request that Gertrude reiterates. Hamlet agrees without enthusiasm. Satisfied that they have had their way, Claudius and Gertrude leave Hamlet to his thoughts. In his first soliloquy, Hamlet laments the fact that he cannot commit suicide. He wishes that his physical self could simply cease to exist, “melt, / thaw and resolve into dew.” He complains that his religion forbids suicide and states that he would rather die than continue to watch his mother engage in her vile incest. These thoughts torment him, but he knows he can't say them out loud to anyone. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Horatio, Marcellus, and Barnard enter, and Hamlet, helpless with Horatio as with no one else, mischievously jokes that King Claudius has been trying to save money by using the funeral refreshments to feed his wedding guests. He tells Horatio that his father's memory haunts him. Horatio takes the opportunity to tell Hamlet about his encounter with the ghost of the old king. Hamlet agrees to keep watch that night in case the Ghost walks again.