Enter FORTINBRAS [and a Captain] with his army over the stage.
FORTINBRAS Go, Captain, from me greet the Danish King:
Tell him that by his licence Fortinbras
Craves the conveyance of a promised march
Over his kingdom. You know the rendezvous.
If that his majesty would aught with us
We shall express our duty in his eye,
And let him know so.
CAPTAIN I will do’t, my lord.
FORTINBRAS Go softly on. [Exeunt all but CAPTAIN.] (4.4.1-8)
Entirely new character! FORTINBRAS! He carefully names himself in the second line; he’s been named already in act 1, and this scene is a reminder both that the political situation is tense, with Denmark on a war footing, and that there is a world elsewhere, outside the claustrophobic confines of Elsinore. Fortinbras, with his army over the stage, as many extras as can be mustered, probably with drum and standard, to pass over the stage from one entrance to the other.
And Fortinbras is decisive, in charge, giving orders: Go, Captain, from me greet the Danish King—Claudius—take him this message: tell him that by his licence Fortinbras craves the conveyance of a promised march over his kingdom. The deal’s already been agreed earlier in the play, it seems—the Norwegian army are on their way to Poland, taking the long way round as they cross over Danish territory—and so this is a formality, requested more or less without menaces, although that might depend on the size of the army. You know the rendezvous; the Captain has been expecting this order, and so he’s off to take the message and then will catch up and rejoin the troops further down the line. Everything’s proceeding according to plan.
If that his majesty would aught with us we shall express our duty in his eye, and let him know so. Any trouble, if the Danish king quibbles at all—well, I’ll come and see him; tell him that, make my bow. But that’d just be a formality, a courtesy; don’t take no for an answer (is the subtext). Fortinbras means business, and the Captain has his orders. I will do’t, my lord. Heel-click, salute. Go softly on; that’s to the rest of the soldiers. Easy does it; we’re not stopping, we’re being polite about this, but we’re advancing all the same. Just—behave. There is of course a contrast between the cool, calm, commanding Fortinbras and chaotic Hamlet, and also with Claudius, having to resort to subterfuge in order to regain control.