The truth has just been revealed to Hamlet by the ghost of his father, Old Hamlet. Claudius, his uncle, poisoned Old Hamlet which caused his untimely death for the purpose of gaining the throne and the hand of Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, in marriage. He is not thrilled by this marriage and has suspicions regarding how quickly they were wed. At this point, he is outraged and the truth causes his rage to worsen. Hamlet held a strong dislike toward the situation from the beginning and now that he knows of Claudius’s underhanded deed, he breeds contempt for him and his mother. Due to his uncle’s nature, he remarks that it is possible for one to smile always yet have a blackened soul that is full of horrible actions. Claudius is portrayed by Hamlet
