Question

Read the excerpt from Hamlet, Act I, Scene ii.

Claudius: Take thy fair hour, Laertes; time be thine,
And thy best graces spend it at thy will.
But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son,—

Hamlet: [Aside.] A little more than kin, and less than kind.

Claudius: How is it that the clouds still hang on you?

Hamlet: Not so, my lord; I am too much i’ the sun.

What is the most likely reason that Shakespeare chose this point in the play to give Hamlet his first aside?

Shakespeare is alerting the audience to the conflict between Claudius and Hamlet.
Shakespeare is making sure the audience knows early on that Hamlet is a tragic hero.
Shakespeare is contrasting Hamlet with Laertes to create suspense for the audience.
Shakespeare is hinting to the audience that Claudius will cause an unhappy ending for Hamlet.

Answer 1

Shakespeare is alerting the audience to the conflict between Claudius and Hamlet.

The aside lets the audience hear Hamlet’s private bitterness about Claudius calling himself both “cousin” and “son,” revealing immediate tension and hostility that Claudius does not know Hamlet will voice.