Why did claudius stop the play?

In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Claudius stops the play because he sees it as a threat to his position as king. The play, which is about a king who is murdered by his brother, closely resembles the events of Claudius's own rise to power. Claudius fears that the play is meant as a criticism of him and that it could potentially turn the people of Denmark against him. Therefore, he decides to put a stop to it before it can cause any further damage.