Enter Voltemand and Cornelius.
CLAUDIUS Welcome, my good friends.
Say, Voltemand, what from our brother Norway?
VOLTEMAND Most fair return of greetings and desires.
Upon our first he sent out to suppress
His nephew’s levies, which to him appeared
To be a preparation ’gainst the Polack;
But, better looked into, he truly found
It was against your highness; whereat, grieved
That so his sickness, age and impotence
Was falsely borne in hand, sends out arrests
On Fortinbras, which he in brief obeys,
Receives rebuke from Norway and, in fine,
Makes vow before his uncle never more
To give th’assay of arms against your majesty. (2.2.58-71)
The ambassadors are back, and Claudius gets to do some more diplomacy, smooth and in control. Welcome, my good friends. Say, Voltemand, what from our brother Norway? What does the Norwegian king have to say for himself? (There can be just a flicker of self-congratulation in our brother; Claudius is king now, he is the equal of kings.) He sends most fair return of greetings and desires. Everything’s very satisfactory; he’s anxious to please and reassure. Upon our first—after the first meeting that we had with him—he sent out to suppress his nephew’s levies, to stop young Fortinbras raising troops, which to him appeared to be a preparation ’gainst the Polack. He thought that Fortinbras was planning a Polish campaign—but no! Better looked into, on closer examination, he truly found it was against your highness! Fortinbras was planning a Danish campaign, the scamp! And this did not please the king of Norway, he felt taken advantage of, manipulated, side-lined because of his age and infirmity, that so his sickness, age and impotence was falsely borne in hand—and so he quickly put a stop to what Fortinbras was up to, sends out arrests, which he in brief obeys, receives rebuke from Norway—a proper telling-off, it was—and, in fine, makes vow before his uncle never more to give th’assay of arms against your majesty. To cut a long story short (there could be a glance at Polonius here) the upshot was that young Fortinbras solemnly promised that he would behave better in the future, and give up all intention of invading Denmark. A good result, I think you’ll agree! Everything is under control, the invasion’s been cancelled.