Not badly, at least not at the start. In Act I Scene 2, Claudiuscalls Hamlet "our son", and officially makes him the heir apparentto the kingdom. He insists that Hamlet stay in Denmark and notreturn to Wittenburg where he has been studying. His motives areunclear; it could be a desire to keep Hamlet where he can see himor a desire to please Gertrude, or a wish that the heir apparentshould get to know his people and kingdom better. But Hamlet isunfailingly rude to Claudius and to his chief advisor Polonius,whom Hamlet then kills. Hamlet is a thorn in Claudius's side.Claudius begins to treat him, not as his chosen successor, but as aproblem which must be eliminated.