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.

The aside reveals to the audience Hamlet’s

respect for Laertes.
affection for Claudius.
jealousy of Laertes.
dislike of Claudius.

Answer 1

dislike of Claudius.

Hamlet’s aside is a bitter pun — “more than kin” (now also his stepfather) but “less than kind” (not affectionate). It reveals his resentment toward Claudius.