Why Claudius is King? When at the beginning of Act I scene ii of Hamlet we find that Claudius, and not young Hamlet is king of Denmark, we are surprised. Part of this surprise comes from our anticipation that the son of the old king should be the natural heir to the throne. Shakespeare takes advantage of this expectation by naming his prince 'Hamlet'. So when, after encountering the ghost, Horatio and the others decide …showed first 75 words of 688 total…

…showed last 75 words of 688 total…father, laments the incestuous nature of his mother= relationship with Claudius, but never once disputes his uncle=s claim to the throne. When the ghost reveals Claudius' treachery, Hamlet's response - after his initial fury - is to lament the "cursed spite" that he "was born to set it right!" (I, v, 216). Claudius may have engineered events to suit his ambitions, but Hamlet's nature and behavior has provided him - pun intended - free reign.