Claudius arrives on the minute, and finds himself rather optimistic about the whole thing. There's something unsettlingly vulnerable, about the thought of acting on stage -- he has techniques for his deceptions, but acting feels like telling someone you're lying and expecting them to still believe you. He has trouble believing the same techniques translate. Nevertheless, he made a wager, and he has to be prepared to fulfill his side of it. Moreover, there's a play which Susan is putting some importance on, which means it's an event to watch. What better source of gossip could there be than joining the cast?

The sound of Dionysus singing also lifts his spirits, before he even knocks on the door. Dionysus is a good of drama. He won't let Claudius make a fool of himself -- that should count as a believer's prayer.