When King Claudius takes a drink, he orders the cannons and trumpets to sound. It was a custom in Denmark apparently. Hamlet says "it is a custom more honoured in the breach than in the observance." In other words, it is a custom which it is more honourable not to follow. Hamlet's dislike of this custom is probably brought on by Claudius's love of doing it (he does it again in Act 5 at the contest between Hamlet and Laertes); anything Claudius likes, Hamlet feels bound to hate.
ophelia
"'Tis a custom more honoured in the breach than in the observance." Which means that the Danes would get more honour by not doing it than by doing it. But really, the fact that Claudius favours this custom is probably the main reason Hamlet is against it.
Not Denmark. Horatio is unfamiliar with the customs in Denmark: when Claudius first starts his trumpet and cannon accompaniment to his drinking, Horatio asks "Is't the custom?" whereupon Hamlet replies that it is but "to my mind though I am native here and to the manor born, it is a custom more honoured in the breach than the observance." If Horatio had been Danish he would have known that this was a custom. Horatio and Hamlet met at University in Germany: Horatio may be German.
He isn't. He announces in Act 1 Scene 2, that all night, whenever he has a drink, they'll fire off cannons and sound trumpets. He says it is because "this gentle and unforced accord of Hamlet's sits smiling to my heart", but surely he is being ironic, since Hamlet's accord is patently anything but gentle and unforced. What is more, we learn that this noisemaking while drinking is a custom, a custom more honoured in the breach than the observance according to Hamlet (probably because it seems to be a custom Claudius likes--he does it again in Act 5), but a custom nevertheless. It does not appear to be a particular celebration, just a customary way of having a booze-up.
When King Claudius takes a drink, he orders the cannons and trumpets to sound. It was a custom in Denmark apparently. Hamlet says "it is a custom more honoured in the breach than in the observance." In other words, it is a custom which it is more honourable not to follow. Hamlet's dislike of this custom is probably brought on by Claudius's love of doing it (he does it again in Act 5 at the contest between Hamlet and Laertes); anything Claudius likes, Hamlet feels bound to hate.
ophelia
Because it's Claudius and in Hamlet's mind nothing Claudius does is done right. Claudius is only following custom, but that isn't good enough: Hamlet sneers that it is a custom more honoured in the breach than in the observance.
"'Tis a custom more honoured in the breach than in the observance." Which means that the Danes would get more honour by not doing it than by doing it. But really, the fact that Claudius favours this custom is probably the main reason Hamlet is against it.
It was a custom in Denmark to mark a toast by firing off cannons and blowing horns. Hamlet and Horatio hear this when they are standing around on the battlements of Elsinore waiting for the Ghost to show up. Hamlet sneers that it is a custom more honoured in the breach than the observance, but then he sneers at everything Claudius does no matter what it is.
Not Denmark. Horatio is unfamiliar with the customs in Denmark: when Claudius first starts his trumpet and cannon accompaniment to his drinking, Horatio asks "Is't the custom?" whereupon Hamlet replies that it is but "to my mind though I am native here and to the manor born, it is a custom more honoured in the breach than the observance." If Horatio had been Danish he would have known that this was a custom. Horatio and Hamlet met at University in Germany: Horatio may be German.
"If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will forestall their repair hither and say you are not fit."
He isn't. He announces in Act 1 Scene 2, that all night, whenever he has a drink, they'll fire off cannons and sound trumpets. He says it is because "this gentle and unforced accord of Hamlet's sits smiling to my heart", but surely he is being ironic, since Hamlet's accord is patently anything but gentle and unforced. What is more, we learn that this noisemaking while drinking is a custom, a custom more honoured in the breach than the observance according to Hamlet (probably because it seems to be a custom Claudius likes--he does it again in Act 5), but a custom nevertheless. It does not appear to be a particular celebration, just a customary way of having a booze-up.
He and Horatio heard a cannon go off to celebrate a toast the king was making. Hamlet thinks it is a custom more honoured in the breach than the observance.
Some unanswered questions in Hamlet are: Does Hamlet truly go "mad" or is it all an act? Does it matter? Why doesn't anybody dislike Claudius even though he's a murderer? Did Gertrude play a part in Hamlet's father's death? Does the ghost of Hamlet's father tell him not to blame Gertrude, Hamlet's mother? Does Hamlet love Ophelia? Is Hamlet in love with his mother? If he is in love with his mother is he also still in love with Ophelia?
They have a great deal of respect for the king, who is the king after all. That seems to count for a lot with them. Very few people seem to share Hamlet's dislike for his stepfather, R & G included.
Claudius was the brother of old King Hamlet (father of Prince Hamlet the hero of the play). When King Hamlet died, Claudius became king and married his widow Gertrude (Prince Hamlet's mother). Hamlet felt that it was too soon after his father's death for them to marry and also there used the idea that your husband or wife siblings were your siblings so to marry them was a kind of incest. So Hamlet wasn't very keen on his uncle to begin with - then he saw his father's ghost and found that Claudius had murdered his father. Read the play or at least see the film - the one with Mel Gibson isn't bad. Or read the prose version in Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare. It is worth studying properly.