Similarly to Hamlet, Fortinbras is the young prince of Norway whose father was killed. Old Hamlet murdered King Fortinbras on the battlefield thirty years before this play begins, and as a result, the Norwegian throne was given to Fortinbras’ uncle. Fortinbras has his own desires for revenge; he intends to attack Denmark and reclaim some land for Norway in order to avenge his father. He has a brash and impetuous nature, and often turns to military actions to seek justice and honour (in fact, his name actually translates to “strong in arm”). However, the King of Norway is initially upset with his nephew’s rapid decision to wage war. Claudius then sends Voltimand and Cornelius, two courtiers, to make an agreement with the Norwegian King. Claudius guarantees Norway a safe passage through Denmark, so that Fortinbras can instead take some land from Poland. Fortinbras is absent for the majority of the play because he is out fighting this war. However, in the final scene, he arrives back to Denmark following his victory in Poland, only to find that the entire Danish royal family has been murdered. He ultimately takes the Danish land as well for the Norwegian kingdom.
