“A little more than kin and less than kind” (I, ii, 67) – Hamlet

This is Hamlet’s first line in the play. Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet, has just died. Now, Claudius, King Hamlet’s brother, has married his wife Gertrude and usurped the throne. Claudius just called Hamlet his cousin, but also his son. Hamlet is now saying that they are even more related than they were before. Claudius was just his uncle before, but he is now also his stepfather. One can say that this disturbs Hamlet because of his low opinion of Claudius. He married Gertrude only one month after Hamlet Senior’s death, and now Claudius is like a father to Hamlet. Hamlet then says that it is “less than kind,” meaning that it is very unnatural; they are practically family. Additionally, by saying “less than kind,” he could also mean that it is not very nice or considerate of Claudius to replace his own brother this way. Hamlet clearly disapproves of their marriage and later in the scene expresses his disgust towards the marriage, including describing it as incest, in his soliloquy.