| King Claudius | |
|---|---|
| Hamlet character | |
 Russian actor Nikolai Massalitinov as Claudius with Olga Knipper as Gertrude in the Moscow Art Theatre production of Hamlet (1911–1912). | |
| Created by | William Shakespeare |
| In-universe information | |
| Family | Gertrude (sister-in-law, wife; deceased) King Hamlet (brother; deceased) Prince Hamlet (nephew, stepson; deceased) |
King Claudius is a fictional character and the main antagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. He is the brother to King Hamlet, second husband to Gertrude and uncle and later stepfather to Prince Hamlet. He obtained the throne of Denmark by murdering his brother with poison and then marrying the late king's widow. He is loosely based on the Jutish chieftain Feng who appears in Chronicon Lethrense and in Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum. There has never been an actual Danish king of that name.